2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kenshalo
An uncommon surname possibly of uncertain origin or meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kenshalo. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenshalo 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kenshalo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenshalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenshalo
The surname Kenshalo is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ken" meaning "to know" and "halo" meaning "halo" or "aura," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone with a perceptive or intuitive nature.
The earliest known record of the name Kenshalo can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William Kenshalo is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the family may have originated from the region of Gloucestershire in the southwest of England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings such as Kenshalow, Kenshalough, and Kenshalowe, which reflect the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time period.
One notable bearer of the name Kenshalo was Sir Thomas Kenshalo (1420-1487), a knight and courtier during the reign of King Henry VI. He was known for his service in the Wars of the Roses and was granted lands in Oxfordshire for his loyalty.
Another significant figure with the surname Kenshalo was Elizabeth Kenshalo (1542-1618), a renowned herbalist and midwife in the village of Ipswich, Suffolk. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and natural remedies earned her a reputation throughout the region.
In the 17th century, the name Kenshalo can be found in several parish records, including the baptism of John Kenshalo in 1654 at St. Mary's Church in Warwick. This suggests that the family had spread to different parts of England by that time.
During the 18th century, a branch of the Kenshalo family settled in the village of Kenshalow near Shrewsbury, Shropshire. It is believed that the place name may have been derived from the family name, reflecting their presence in the area.
One of the most notable figures with the surname Kenshalo was Sir Richard Kenshalo (1725-1803), a successful merchant and philanthropist in London. He was a prominent member of the East India Company and founded several charitable institutions, including the Kenshalo School for Orphans.
Although the surname Kenshalo is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to its English origins and the various individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenshalo
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenshalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenshalo 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 Kenshalo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenshalo
Kenshalo appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Kenshalo 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenshalo bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kenshalo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenshalo?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kenshalo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kenshalo?
Kenshalo ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kenshalo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kenshalo.
Has Kenshalo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenshalo went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenshalo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenshalo, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Kenshalo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenshalo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (11.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Kenshalo (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 Kenshalo mean?
An uncommon surname possibly of uncertain origin or meaning. 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 Kenshalo (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 are called Kenshalo?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Kenshalo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.