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

Kesterson, 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 Kesterson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kesterson in America

Kesterson is the 10800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kesterson surname appeared 2,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kesterson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kesterson 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 Kesterson

The surname Kesterson has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cester" and "tun," which together mean "town near a Roman camp or fort."

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly found in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name appear in parish records and tax rolls. Variations in spelling were common, including Kesterton, Kestertun, and Kestretone.

One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Godric de Kestretone in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a surname.

In the 13th century, a notable figure was Sir Robert de Kesterson, a knight who fought in the Battle of Evesham in 1265 during the Second Barons' War. His coat of arms and seal have been preserved in historical records.

Another early bearer of the name was John Kesterson, a merchant from York who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he traded wool and cloth with merchants in the Low Countries.

During the 16th century, the name was found in various parts of England, including the villages of Kesterson in Gloucestershire and Kesterson in Leicestershire. These place names likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname.

In the 17th century, a prominent individual was William Kesterson (1587-1657), a Puritan minister who emigrated to New England and became one of the founders of the town of Stamford, Connecticut.

Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Kesterson (1658-1728), a wealthy landowner and member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton in Somerset during the early 18th century.

As the name spread across England and into other parts of the British Isles, it continued to evolve with various spellings, including Kesterson, Kesturson, and Kesturton.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kesterson

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

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

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

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