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

Kennett, 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 Kennett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kennett in America

Kennett is the 9245th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kennett surname appeared 3,521 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kennett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kennett 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 Kennett

The surname Kennett originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cene," meaning bold or brave, and was initially a nickname for a courageous individual. The name may also be associated with the town of Kennet in Wiltshire, England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kennett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, which mentions a Richard de Kenett. In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Kenet, Kenett, and Kenate, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Kennett. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Kennet in Wiltshire and Kennet in Cambridgeshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Kennett include:

1. Basil Kennett (1674-1715), an English clergyman and antiquary who wrote several historical works, including the "Parochial Antiquities" and "Antiquities of Rome."

2. White Kennett (1660-1728), an English bishop and author best known for his work "A Complete History of England," a comprehensive account of English history from the earliest times to the reign of Queen Anne.

3. Robert Hesketh Kennett (1845-1925), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the British East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya) from 1901 to 1909.

4. Sir Benjamin Kennett (1674-1741), an English diplomat and politician who served as the British Resident at the court of the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and later as the Governor of Deptford.

5. John Kennett (1793-1870), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and is considered one of the pioneers of the game in its early years.

The surname Kennett has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Kennett and Avon in Wiltshire, Kennett in Cambridgeshire, and Kennett Square in Pennsylvania, USA, which was named after the town of Kennet in Wiltshire by English settlers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kennett

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

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

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

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