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

Ken, 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 Ken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ken in America

Ken is the 40144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ken surname appeared 546 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ken 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 Ken

The surname KEN originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word "cyn" or "kyn," which meant "family" or "kin." It was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who came from a prominent or well-known family.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname KEN can be traced back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers was Ralph Ken, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. Another early record is of a William Ken, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1207.

During the Middle Ages, the surname KEN was particularly prevalent in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Oxfordshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in the village of Ken, located in the parish of Kensworth in Hertfordshire.

In the 13th century, the name KEN appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where it was recorded as "de Ken." This suggests that some individuals adopted the surname as a locative name, indicating their place of origin or residence.

One notable historical figure with the surname KEN was Thomas Ken (1637-1711), an English cleric who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was known for his unwavering principles and his refusal to support the policies of King James II, which ultimately led to his imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Another prominent individual was John Ken (1593-1667), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall during the English Civil War.

In the 16th century, the surname KEN was also found in Scotland, where it may have been adopted as a variant of the Scottish surname "Kenne" or "Kenn." One notable Scottish bearer was Robert Ken (1572-1635), a Scottish minister and religious writer.

Other historical figures with the surname KEN include Edmund Ken (1695-1748), an English lawyer and writer, and William Ken (1699-1782), an English theologian and author.

While the surname KEN may have evolved from various spellings and regional variations over the centuries, it has maintained its connection to its Old English roots, reflecting its origins as a descriptive name for individuals from well-known or prominent families in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ken

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

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 Ken 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 Ken 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 Ken was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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