2000
#7,892
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,891
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Kerby
Derived from a place name meaning "church settlement" in Old Norse, or from the Old Norse byname "karr," meaning "curly-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,465 Americans carry the last name Kerby. That puts it at #8,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kerby 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 Kerby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,765
Census rank
#8,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,894 bearers of the surname Kerby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kerby
The surname Kerby has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "cyr" meaning "churn" and "by" meaning "farm" or "village." Thus, Kerby likely referred to a settlement where butter or cheese was produced.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerby can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Chirebi," reflecting the Old English spelling.
During the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings such as Kyrby, Kyreby, and Kyriby, as documented in various medieval records and charters. These variations highlight the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Kerby was John de Kerby, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1208. This official record of financial accounts suggests that the Kerby family had established roots in the northern county of Yorkshire by the early 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Kerby was also associated with the village of Kirby in Leicestershire, which derived its name from the Old Norse word "kirkju-by," meaning "church village." This connection is evident in the records of one William de Kyrkeby, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1334.
Notable historical figures with the surname Kerby include:
1. Sir Walter Kerby (c. 1510 - 1589), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. John Kerby (c. 1616 - 1690), a Puritan minister and author who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century.
3. Robert Kerby (1730 - 1803), a prominent Scottish merchant and shipowner based in Greenock, renowned for his involvement in the transatlantic trade.
4. Mary Kerby (1789 - 1865), an English author and poet, best known for her works on religious themes and moral education.
5. Sir John Kerby (1837 - 1914), a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Berlin in 1878.
While the surname Kerby has evolved over centuries and spread across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the English medieval period, reflecting the significance of locational names and the rich history embedded within them.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerby
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kerby 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 Kerby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 3,349
- Black or African American4.7% · 184
- Two or more races3.7% · 145
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kerby
Kerby 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
#7,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,345
+454 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 249 places
2020
#8,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,894
-451 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,892 | 3,891 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,643 | 4,345 | 1.47 | +454 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 249 places |
| 2020 | #8,135 | 3,894 | 1.30 | -451 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 492 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 Kerby 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 | #7,643 | #8,135 | -6.4% |
| Count | 4,345 | 3,894 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.30 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kerby bearers went from 4,345 to 3,894 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 492 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,643 to #8,135.
FAQ
Kerby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kerby?
Name Census estimates that about 4,465 living Americans carry the surname Kerby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,765 residents.
How common is Kerby?
Kerby ranks #8,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,894 people with the surname Kerby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Kerby.
Has Kerby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kerby went from 4,345 recorded bearers to 3,894. That is a decrease of 451 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,643 to #8,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Kerby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerby, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Kerby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (3,349 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kerby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Black (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Kerby (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 Kerby mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "church settlement" in Old Norse, or from the Old Norse byname "karr," meaning "curly-haired." 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 Kerby (1.30 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 Kerby?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Kerby on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.