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

Kettle, 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 Kettle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kettle in America

Kettle is the 14307th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kettle surname appeared 2,092 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 Kettle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kettle 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 Kettle

The surname Kettle is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cetel", meaning a kettle or cauldron. This name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to someone who made or sold kettles or cauldrons.

The earliest recorded instance of the Kettle surname dates back to the 13th century in Norfolk, England. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to Walter Ketel, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the Kettle name.

During the medieval period, the name Kettle was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire in eastern England. This is likely due to the region's association with metalworking and the production of household items like kettles and cauldrons.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Kettle surname was William Kettle, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212. Another early mention is found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, which reference a John Ketel in 1272.

In the 16th century, the surname Kettle is found in various records, including the Nottinghamshire Musters of 1569, which list a Thomas Kettle. The Wills at Chester from 1591 to 1600 also mention a Thomas Kettle, possibly the same individual.

Some notable individuals with the Kettle surname throughout history include:

1. Ralph Kettle (c. 1615-1670), an English Puritan minister and author from Norfolk.
2. Tilly Kettle (1735-1786), an English poet and writer from London.
3. William Kettle (1793-1862), an English architect and surveyor responsible for designing several notable buildings in London.
4. James Kettle (1807-1886), a Scottish politician and journalist who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan.
5. Thomas Michael Kettle (1880-1916), an Irish economist, poet, and politician who served as a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party and was killed in action during World War I.

The Kettle surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Kettle Green in Suffolk, Kettle Farm in Lincolnshire, and Kettleshulme in Cheshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kettle

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

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

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

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