2000
#20,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Kick
A surname derived from a descriptive nickname referring to someone who was notorious for kicking or kicking things.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,483 Americans carry the last name Kick. That puts it at #20,719 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 231,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kick 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 Kick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 231,122
Census rank
#20,719
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,293 bearers of the surname Kick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20719th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kick
The surname KICK has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "kicco," which means "he who kicks." This name was likely given to someone who was known for their kicking ability or perhaps had a tendency to kick.
The earliest recorded instances of the name KICK can be traced back to the town of Erfurt in central Germany. In the town's records from the late 1500s, there are mentions of individuals with the surname KICK, often spelled as "Kicco" or "Kicke."
One notable mention of the name KICK comes from the Thirty Years' War, which ravaged much of Europe in the early 17th century. In the chronicles of the war, there is a reference to a mercenary soldier named Hans KICK who fought for the Protestant forces. Unfortunately, little else is known about his life or deeds.
In the late 17th century, the name KICK began to spread beyond Germany, with some families emigrating to neighboring countries like the Netherlands and France. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in the Netherlands was a merchant named Pieter KICK, who was born in Amsterdam in 1683.
As the name KICK traveled, it also started to evolve in its spelling. In some regions, it was written as "Kicque" or "Kicque," while in others, it became "Kick" or "Kik." This variation in spelling was common in those times, as standardized spellings were not yet widely adopted.
Another notable figure with the surname KICK was Johann KICK, a German composer and organist who lived in the 18th century. He was born in Tübingen in 1726 and is known for his contributions to the music of the Lutheran church.
As the centuries passed, the name KICK continued to be found in various parts of Europe, with families bearing the name spreading across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and even as far as England and France. Some notable individuals with the surname KICK include:
1. Wilhelm KICK (1807-1887), a German painter and lithographer known for his landscape works.
2. Ernst KICK (1849-1927), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in San Francisco, California.
3. August KICK (1865-1949), a German journalist and writer who served as the editor of several publications in Berlin.
4. Cornelia KICK (1890-1972), a Dutch gymnast who competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games.
5. Rudolf KICK (1893-1976), an Austrian-American architect known for his work in the Art Deco style, particularly in New York City.
While the surname KICK may not be as common as some other surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, with its roots firmly planted in the Germanic regions of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kick
Among Census respondents with the surname Kick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kick 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 Kick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,199
- Two or more races2.8% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 11
- Black or African American0.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kick
Kick 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
#20,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,262
+41 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 614 places
2020
#20,719
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,293
+31 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,270 | 1,221 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,884 | 1,262 | 0.43 | +41 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 614 places |
| 2020 | #20,719 | 1,293 | 0.43 | +31 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 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 Kick 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 | #20,884 | #20,719 | 0.8% |
| Count | 1,262 | 1,293 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.43 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kick bearers went from 1,262 to 1,293 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 165 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,884 to #20,719.
FAQ
Kick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kick?
Name Census estimates that about 1,483 living Americans carry the surname Kick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 231,122 residents.
How common is Kick?
Kick ranks #20,719 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,293 people with the surname Kick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,483), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Kick.
Has Kick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kick went from 1,262 recorded bearers to 1,293. That is an increase of 31 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,884 to #20,719.
What does the Census say about the background of Kick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Kick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,199 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Kick (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 Kick mean?
A surname derived from a descriptive nickname referring to someone who was notorious for kicking or kicking things. 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 Kick (0.43 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 Americans have the surname Kick?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.