2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kenneybrew
An English surname representing an occupational name for a brewer or beer merchant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kenneybrew. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenneybrew 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kenneybrew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenneybrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenneybrew
The surname KENNEYBREW has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in the region of Scotland. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, between the 11th and 15th centuries. It is thought to be derived from a Scottish Gaelic phrase that translates to "one who brews from a kenney," where "kenney" refers to a small farm or hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KENNEYBREW surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from the late 13th century. This document lists several individuals bearing similar spellings of the name, such as "Kenneybrou" and "Kennybrugh," indicating the presence of the surname in Scotland during that time.
During the 16th century, the KENNEYBREW surname appeared in various parish records and local chronicles throughout the Scottish Lowlands. These records often referred to place names that may have influenced the surname's spelling variations, such as "Kennybrew" or "Kenneybrew-upon-Tyne."
In the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the KENNEYBREW surname was Sir William Kenneybrew (1612-1689), a Scottish landowner and member of the Parliament of Scotland. Another notable individual was Robert Kenneybrew (1620-1678), a renowned poet and playwright who contributed to the growth of Scottish literature during the Renaissance period.
The 18th century saw the KENNEYBREW surname spread beyond Scotland's borders, with members of the family emigrating to various parts of the British Empire. One such individual was John Kenneybrew (1745-1820), a Scottish-born merchant who settled in the American colonies and played a role in the Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the KENNEYBREW surname was carried by individuals such as Mary Kenneybrew (1801-1879), a Scottish philanthropist and advocate for women's education, and James Kenneybrew (1832-1901), a prominent Scottish architect known for designing several notable buildings in Edinburgh.
Throughout its history, the KENNEYBREW surname has maintained a strong presence in Scotland and has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including politics, literature, business, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenneybrew
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenneybrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenneybrew 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 Kenneybrew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.8% · 101
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenneybrew
Kenneybrew 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,887 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,887 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 3,182 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 Kenneybrew 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 | #152,628 | #149,446 | 2.1% |
| Count | 107 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenneybrew bearers went from 107 to 110 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 3,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kenneybrew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenneybrew?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kenneybrew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kenneybrew?
Kenneybrew ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Kenneybrew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kenneybrew.
Has Kenneybrew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenneybrew went from 107 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenneybrew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenneybrew, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kenneybrew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenneybrew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Kenneybrew (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 Kenneybrew mean?
An English surname representing an occupational name for a brewer or beer merchant. 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 Kenneybrew (0.04 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 share the surname Kenneybrew?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.