2000
#7,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.43
Rare Last name
Kenner
One who lived near a rabbit warren or worked as a rabbit keeper or hunter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,421 Americans carry the last name Kenner. That puts it at #8,230 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenner 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 Kenner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,529
Census rank
#8,230
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,855 bearers of the surname Kenner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8230th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenner
The surname Kenner is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kennen," which means "to know" or "to be acquainted with." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was well-known or knowledgeable within their community.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Kenner can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the former Kingdom of Saxony. In this record, a person named Conradus Kenner is mentioned in relation to a land transaction in the year 1192.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, various spellings emerged, including Kenner, Kener, and Küner. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Kenner was Hans Kenner, a German theologian and Reformist who lived from 1495 to 1568. He was a prominent supporter of Martin Luther's teachings and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
During the 18th century, the Kenner surname made its way to America, where it was adopted by several notable individuals. One such person was Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Kenner, a Louisiana politician and diplomat who lived from 1812 to 1888. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and later as a Confederate diplomat during the American Civil War.
Another prominent American with the Kenner surname was Robert Kenner, a film director and producer born in 1951. He is best known for his critically acclaimed documentaries such as "Food, Inc." and "Merchants of Doubt," which explore various social and environmental issues.
In the realm of literature, the name Kenner is associated with Hugh Kenner, a renowned Canadian literary critic and academic who lived from 1923 to 2003. He is particularly known for his influential works on modernist writers like Ezra Pound and James Joyce.
Similarly, the Kenner surname has also been carried by notable figures in the arts and sciences. For example, Max Kenner was an Austrian-American architect and designer who lived from 1882 to 1966. He is renowned for his contributions to the Art Deco movement and for designing iconic buildings such as the Brill Building in New York City.
While the Kenner surname has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread across various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in diverse fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenner 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 Kenner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.3% · 2,287
- Black or African American31.7% · 1,222
- Two or more races4.7% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenner
Kenner 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
#6,694
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,045
+1,180 bearers (+30.5%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 1,243 places
2020
#8,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,855
-1,190 bearers (-23.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 1,536 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,937 | 3,865 | 1.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,694 | 5,045 | 1.71 | +1,180 bearers (+30.5%) | Up 1,243 places |
| 2020 | #8,230 | 3,855 | 1.29 | -1,190 bearers (-23.6%) | Down 1,536 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 Kenner 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 | #6,694 | #8,230 | -22.9% |
| Count | 5,045 | 3,855 | -23.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.71 | 1.29 | -24.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenner bearers went from 5,045 to 3,855 (-23.6% change). The surname moved down 1,536 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,694 to #8,230.
FAQ
Kenner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenner?
Name Census estimates that about 4,421 living Americans carry the surname Kenner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,529 residents.
How common is Kenner?
Kenner ranks #8,230 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,855 people with the surname Kenner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,421), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kenner.
Has Kenner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenner went from 5,045 recorded bearers to 3,855. That is a decrease of 1,190 (-23.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,694 to #8,230.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenner, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.3%. The next largest groups are Black (31.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Kenner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.3% (2,287 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.3%), Black (31.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Kenner (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 Kenner mean?
One who lived near a rabbit warren or worked as a rabbit keeper or hunter. 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 Kenner (1.29 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 many people have the last name Kenner?
You can see how many people are called Kenner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.