2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kerswill
An English surname derived from a place name based on the Old English word "cærse" meaning watercress.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kerswill. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kerswill 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 Kerswill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kerswill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerswill, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.8%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kerswill
The surname Kerswill is of English origin, emerging in the region of Devon during the late medieval period. Linguists trace its roots to the Old English words "cerse" and "wille," denoting a locality where cress plants grew abundantly near a stream or spring.
Early records indicate that the name was initially spelled as "Cresswill" or "Cressewill," with variations arising from regional dialects and scribal practices. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Feudal Aids of 1285, which lists a Robert de Cresswille among the landowners of Devon.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various legal and ecclesiastical documents, including the Assize Rolls of Somerset and the Register of the Bishop of Exeter. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a John Cresswill, while the Inquisitiones post mortem of 1395 reference a Thomas Cressewylle.
The Kerswill name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. William Kerswill (c. 1530-1592) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Exeter during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. John Kerswill (1617-1675) was a respected clergyman and author, serving as the vicar of Exeter St. Petrock from 1660 until his death.
In the 18th century, Thomas Kerswill (1713-1789) was a successful farmer and landowner in the village of Clyst St. Mary, Devon. His grandson, also named Thomas Kerswill (1763-1828), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the local agricultural community.
One of the most renowned individuals bearing the Kerswill name was Sir John Kerswill (1821-1903), a distinguished military officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his actions during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857.
While the Kerswill surname has deep roots in the county of Devon, it has also been found in various other parts of England, as well as in North America and other regions where English settlers migrated. However, its origins can be traced back to the historic landscapes of Devon, where the name first emerged centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kerswill
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerswill, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.8%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kerswill 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 Kerswill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 85
- Two or more races13.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.0% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kerswill
Kerswill 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-20 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,123 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 22,123 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 11,165 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 Kerswill 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 | #133,863 | #145,028 | -8.3% |
| Count | 126 | 116 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kerswill bearers went from 126 to 116 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 11,165 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kerswill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kerswill?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kerswill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kerswill?
Kerswill ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kerswill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kerswill.
Has Kerswill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kerswill went from 126 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kerswill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kerswill, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.8%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Kerswill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kerswill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Two or More Races (13.8%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Kerswill (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 Kerswill mean?
An English surname derived from a place name based on the Old English word "cærse" meaning watercress. 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 Kerswill (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 Kerswill?
You can see how many people are called Kerswill on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.