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

Kevin, 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 Kevin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kevin in America

Kevin is the 57781st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kevin surname appeared 352 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kevin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kevin 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 Kevin

The surname Kevin is of Irish origin, first appearing in the counties of Wicklow and Wexford in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old Irish word "caemhghein," which means "birth of beauty" or "noble-born." The name may have originated from a personal name given to a child born into a wealthy or noble family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kevin can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historic chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Domhnall Mac Kevin" in the year 1162, who was a member of the Uí Cheinnsealaigh, a prominent family in County Wexford.

In the 14th century, the surname Kevin appears in various legal documents and records from the counties of Wicklow and Wexford. For example, a "John Keven" is mentioned in a land deed from 1387 in the town of Arklow, County Wicklow.

Over the centuries, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including Kevan, Kevane, Kevyn, and Keveen. These variations reflect the local dialects and pronunciations in different parts of Ireland.

One notable individual with the surname Kevin was John Kevan (c. 1560-1628), an Irish Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1624 until his death. He played a significant role in preserving the Catholic faith in Ireland during the tumultuous years of the Reformation.

Another prominent figure was Sir Nicholas Kevyn (c. 1570-1643), a landowner and member of the Irish Parliament who represented County Wexford in the early 17th century. He was involved in the struggles between the English and Irish during the Irish Rebellion of 1641.

In the 18th century, a family named Kevin resided in the town of Enniscorthy, County Wexford. One member, Michael Kevin (1732-1812), was a successful merchant and landowner who bequeathed a significant portion of his estate to establish a school for the education of poor children in the area.

During the 19th century, the surname Kevin became more widespread in Ireland and began to appear in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. James Kevin (1823-1898), born in County Wexford, was a prominent businessman and politician in New York City, serving as a member of the city's Board of Aldermen.

Another notable figure was Mary Kevin (1851-1932), an Irish-born nurse who worked in London and became a pioneer in the field of district nursing, providing healthcare services to the poor and underprivileged in their homes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kevin

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

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

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

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