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

Kenniston, 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 Kenniston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kenniston in America

Kenniston is the 56195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kenniston surname appeared 364 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 Kenniston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kenniston 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 Kenniston

The surname Kenniston originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English words "cyn" meaning "royal" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "estate." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a royal or noble settlement.

Kenniston is believed to have originated in the county of Worcestershire, where early records show variations of the spelling such as Keniston, Kennyston, and Kenniston. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Kenistun is mentioned.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Kenniston who was a prominent landowner in the village of Kenniston near Worcester. This village likely took its name from the Kenniston family, further indicating their presence in the area during that time.

The earliest recorded instance of the Kenniston surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1230, where a William de Kenniston is listed as a taxpayer. Another notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Kenniston (1280-1346), a knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence under King Edward I.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Kenniston family settled in Oxfordshire, where they became prominent landowners and members of the local gentry. One notable figure from this branch was Robert Kenniston (1540-1606), a wealthy merchant and benefactor who helped fund the construction of several churches in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Kenniston throughout history include:

1. Elizabeth Kenniston (1620-1692), one of the first settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2. John Kenniston (1765-1842), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Ohio.
3. William Kenniston (1802-1879), a renowned architect responsible for designing several prominent buildings in London.
4. Mary Kenniston (1855-1931), a British author and poet known for her works on nature and rural life.
5. James Kenniston (1890-1965), an Australian politician and member of the House of Representatives.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kenniston

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

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

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

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