Find out how popular the last name Kelso is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kelso.

Kelso, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kelso surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kelso in America

Kelso is the 4096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kelso surname appeared 8,671 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kelso.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kelso to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kelso

The surname Kelso originates from Scotland and has its roots in the town of Kelso, located in the Scottish Borders region. The name is derived from the Brittonic Celtic words "kal" meaning "narrow" and "holm" meaning "river meadow" or "island," suggesting a connection to the town's location near the confluence of the River Tweed and River Teviot.

The town of Kelso, with its origins dating back to the 6th century, was an important ecclesiastical center and a significant location during the medieval period. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the late 12th century, when the Kelso Abbey was established in the town.

The surname Kelso is recorded in several historical documents, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. This suggests that the name was in use by the late 13th century.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Kelso throughout history are Sir Thomas Kelso, a Scottish nobleman and military commander who lived in the 15th century, and John Kelso, a 16th-century Scottish clergyman and reformer who served as a minister in Edinburgh.

In the 17th century, the Kelso family played a role in the colonization of North America. William Kelso, born in Scotland around 1630, was one of the earliest settlers in Virginia and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.

The surname Kelso can also be found in the annals of literature, with the Scottish poet James Kelso (1760-1838) being a prominent figure during the Romantic era. His works often celebrated the beauty of the Scottish Borders and reflected on rural life.

Another notable individual with the surname Kelso was Sir John Kelso, a British naval officer who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and was involved in several significant naval battles.

These are just a few examples of the rich history associated with the surname Kelso, which has its origins firmly rooted in the Scottish Borders region and has been carried by individuals across various fields and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kelso

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kelso.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kelso was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kelso has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kelso was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kelso, please contact us.

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