2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kelpe
An English surname derived from an old word for oatcake or flatbread.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kelpe. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelpe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kelpe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelpe
The surname Kelpe has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "cailp," which means "deer" or "hind." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a place where deer were abundant or perhaps even worked as a huntsman.
In the early 14th century, a record from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland mentions a "William de Kelpe" from the county of Fife. This is one of the earliest known instances of the name appearing in historical records. The spelling "de Kelpe" indicates that it was likely a place name before becoming a surname.
The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls made during the reign of King Edward I of England. Here, the name is spelled "Kelpie," which was a common variation during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Court of the Lord Lyon, Scotland's heraldic authority. A coat of arms was granted to a John Kelpe of Ayrshire in 1573, indicating that the family had achieved a certain level of prominence by that time.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir Robert Kelpe (1624-1699), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1684 to 1686. He played a significant role in the city's affairs during a turbulent period of religious and political upheaval.
Another individual of note was James Kelpe (1785-1862), a Scottish engineer who was instrumental in the construction of the Union Canal, which connected Edinburgh to Falkirk. His work on this important waterway project contributed to the economic growth of central Scotland in the early 19th century.
In the literary world, the name is associated with Margaret Kelpe (1872-1944), a Scottish novelist and poet who was part of the Celtic Revival movement. Her works, such as "The Heather on the Hill" and "Songs of the Gael," celebrated Scottish culture and traditions.
The Kelpe surname has also been found in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have migrated from Scotland over the centuries.
Overall, the surname Kelpe has a rich history rooted in the landscapes and cultural traditions of Scotland, with various notable individuals bearing the name contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelpe
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelpe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kelpe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelpe
Kelpe appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,383 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,065 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,383 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,065 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kelpe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #150,205 | -6.4% |
| Count | 118 | 109 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelpe bearers went from 118 to 109 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,065 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kelpe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelpe?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kelpe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kelpe?
Kelpe ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Kelpe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kelpe.
Has Kelpe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelpe went from 118 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelpe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelpe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kelpe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelpe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (6.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kelpe (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kelpe mean?
An English surname derived from an old word for oatcake or flatbread. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kelpe (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Kelpe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Kelpe is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.