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

Kerr, 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 Kerr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kerr in America

Kerr is the 771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kerr surname appeared 44,711 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Kerr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kerr 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 Kerr

The surname Kerr originated in Scotland and has been a Scottish name since medieval times. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'ciar' which means 'dark brown' or 'dusky'. This referred to the hair or complexion of the original bearer. The name was initially a descriptive nickname used to distinguish between individuals of the same given name.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to the late 12th century in the Scottish Borders region. A person named Richard Ker was noted in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The name was also recorded as Kerre, Chere, and Cheyres during this period.

In the 14th century, the Kerrs became a prominent family in the Scottish Borders, holding lands and properties in the areas of Roxburghshire, Berwickshire, and Selkirkshire. They gained influence and power, with several members serving as wardens and governors of the Borders region.

One notable figure from this family was Sir Andrew Ker of Cessford, who lived from around 1470 to 1526. He was a powerful Border chief and played a significant role in the conflicts between Scotland and England during that time.

Another famous bearer of the name was Robert Ker, 1st Earl of Roxburghe, who lived from 1570 to 1650. He was a Scottish nobleman and served as Lord Privy Seal of Scotland under King James VI.

In the 17th century, the Kerrs established themselves as a prominent clan in Scotland, with their main seat at Ferniehirst Castle in Roxburghshire. The clan was known for their bravery and loyalty to the Scottish crown.

During the 18th century, the name Kerr spread beyond Scotland as members of the clan migrated to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure from this period was John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian, who lived from 1737 to 1815 and served as a British diplomat and politician.

Over time, the name Kerr has been associated with various places and landmarks, such as Kerr County in Texas, named after James Kerr, a Scottish immigrant who settled in the area in the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kerr

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!