2000
#22,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Kenison
A variant spelling of the English surname Kinnison, derived from the nickname "son of little Kenneth".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,330 Americans carry the last name Kenison. That puts it at #22,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 257,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenison 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kenison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 257,710
Census rank
#22,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,160 bearers of the surname Kenison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenison
The surname Kenison is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "kene" meaning bold or brave, and "son" which denotes a descendant or son. This combination suggests that the name was likely given to someone who was considered a brave or courageous person.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kenison can be traced back to the 13th century in various areas of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. The name was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Kenison was Sir Richard Kenison, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I in the Scottish Wars of Independence during the late 13th century. Another notable figure was John Kenison, a wealthy merchant from York who lived in the 14th century and was involved in the wool trade.
In the 16th century, the Kenison family was particularly prominent in the village of Keniston, located in the county of Norfolk. This place name likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that a person named Kenison may have been an early settler or landowner in the area.
During the 17th century, several Kenisons emigrated to the American colonies, including William Kenison, who arrived in Virginia in 1635, and Thomas Kenison, who settled in Massachusetts in 1638. These early settlers helped establish the Kenison name in the New World.
Another notable individual with the surname Kenison was Sir Edward Kenison, a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1744 and played a significant role in several battles against the Continental Army.
Throughout history, the surname Kenison has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, merchants, landowners, and settlers. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling over time, its origins and meaning have remained deeply rooted in the concepts of bravery and courage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenison
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenison 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 Kenison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 1,034
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 55
- Two or more races4.5% · 52
- Black or African American1.0% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenison
Kenison 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
#23,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,054
+8 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Down 1,089 places
2020
#22,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,160
+106 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 1,253 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,854 | 1,046 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,943 | 1,054 | 0.36 | +8 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,089 places |
| 2020 | #22,690 | 1,160 | 0.39 | +106 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 1,253 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 Kenison 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 | #23,943 | #22,690 | 5.2% |
| Count | 1,054 | 1,160 | 10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.39 | 7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenison bearers went from 1,054 to 1,160 (+10.1% change). The surname moved up 1,253 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,943 to #22,690.
FAQ
Kenison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenison?
Name Census estimates that about 1,330 living Americans carry the surname Kenison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 257,710 residents.
How common is Kenison?
Kenison ranks #22,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,160 people with the surname Kenison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Kenison.
Has Kenison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenison went from 1,054 recorded bearers to 1,160. That is an increase of 106 (+10.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,943 to #22,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenison, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kenison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (1,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kenison (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 Kenison mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Kinnison, derived from the nickname "son of little Kenneth". 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 Kenison (0.39 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 Kenison?
See how many Americans have the surname Kenison on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.