2000
#4,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,589
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.44
Rare Last name
Kidder
An occupational surname for a traveling merchant dealing in goods or commodities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,286 Americans carry the last name Kidder. That puts it at #5,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,043 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kidder 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 Kidder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.3K
1 in 47,043
Census rank
#5,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,354 bearers of the surname Kidder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidder, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kidder
The surname Kidder is of English origin, traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "kidde," meaning a young goat or kid. This name was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with goats or a nickname for someone perceived to have goat-like qualities.
The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Nicholaus le Kiddere." This suggests the name was initially an occupational descriptor before evolving into a hereditary surname.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms in historical records, such as "Kiddere," "Kydder," and "Kider." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and spelling inconsistencies common during that time.
The surname Kidder has also been associated with certain place names, such as Kidderminster in Worcestershire, England. This town's name is derived from the Old English "Kidda's mynstre," meaning "the monastery of Kidda." It is possible that some Kidders may have originated from or resided in this area.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Kidder include:
1. Richard Kidder (1633-1703), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells.
2. James Kidder (1736-1805), an American Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in Vermont.
3. Frederick Kidder (1804-1885), an American geologist and naturalist known for his work in Brazil and the United States.
4. Alfred Vincent Kidder (1885-1963), an American archaeologist and anthropologist renowned for his excavations in the American Southwest.
5. Margot Kidder (1948-2018), a Canadian-American actress best known for her portrayal of Lois Lane in the Superman film series.
The surname Kidder has been present in various regions of England and later spread to other parts of the world, including North America, through immigration. While its origins can be traced back to medieval times, the name continues to hold significance as a testament to occupational and regional heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kidder
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidder, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kidder 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 Kidder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 5,722
- Two or more races4.1% · 260
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 228
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 51
- Black or African American0.5% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kidder
Kidder 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
#5,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,746
+157 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.29
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#5,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,354
-392 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,896 | 6,589 | 2.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,179 | 6,746 | 2.29 | +157 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #5,296 | 6,354 | 2.13 | -392 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 117 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 Kidder 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 | #5,179 | #5,296 | -2.3% |
| Count | 6,746 | 6,354 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.29 | 2.13 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kidder bearers went from 6,746 to 6,354 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,179 to #5,296.
FAQ
Kidder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kidder?
Name Census estimates that about 7,286 living Americans carry the surname Kidder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,043 residents.
How common is Kidder?
Kidder ranks #5,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,354 people with the surname Kidder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,286), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kidder.
Has Kidder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kidder went from 6,746 recorded bearers to 6,354. That is a decrease of 392 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,179 to #5,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Kidder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidder, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Kidder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (5,722 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kidder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Kidder (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 Kidder mean?
An occupational surname for a traveling merchant dealing in goods or commodities. 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 Kidder (2.13 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 have the last name Kidder?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Kidder, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.