2000
#38,263
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 544
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Kidman
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely signifying someone who hailed from a farmstead or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 711 Americans carry the last name Kidman. That puts it at #38,417 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 482,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kidman 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 Kidman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
711
1 in 482,074
Census rank
#38,417
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
620
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 620 bearers of the surname Kidman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38417th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kidman
The surname Kidman is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cydda" or "cydde," meaning "famous" or "renowned," and "mann," meaning "man." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to a well-known or prominent individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a survey of landholdings conducted in 1273-1274. The entry mentions a "William Kydeman" from the village of Ickleton. This suggests that the surname was already established in parts of eastern England by the late 13th century.
Throughout the medieval and early modern periods, variations in spelling were common due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects. Some alternative spellings of the name included Kidman, Kiddeman, Kiddiman, and Kydeman.
While the Kidman name does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, it is possible that some of the earliest bearers of the name were landowners or individuals of note in their local communities during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Kidman surname was John Kidman, born in Wymondham, Norfolk, in 1544. He was a prominent merchant and served as a member of the local government.
Another notable figure was William Kidman, born in Lincolnshire in 1632. He was a scholar and clergyman who published several works on religious and philosophical topics.
In the 18th century, Thomas Kidman (1720-1798), a successful businessman from Yorkshire, was instrumental in establishing a thriving textile trade in the region.
During the 19th century, the Kidman name gained recognition through individuals like Sir Sydney Kidman (1857-1935), an Australian pastoralist and businessman who amassed a vast cattle empire across the outback.
Another well-known bearer of the name was Margery Kidman (1876-1958), a pioneering female journalist and author from New Zealand, who wrote extensively on social and political issues.
While the Kidman surname may have originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and North America, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kidman
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kidman 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 Kidman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 550
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 41
- Two or more races2.6% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kidman
Kidman 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
#40,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 536
-8 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 2,482 places
2020
#38,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 620
+84 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 2,328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38,263 | 544 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,745 | 536 | 0.18 | -8 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 2,482 places |
| 2020 | #38,417 | 620 | 0.21 | +84 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 2,328 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 Kidman 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 | #40,745 | #38,417 | 5.7% |
| Count | 536 | 620 | 15.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.21 | 15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kidman bearers went from 536 to 620 (+15.7% change). The surname moved up 2,328 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,745 to #38,417.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kidman
FAQ
Kidman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kidman?
Name Census estimates that about 711 living Americans carry the surname Kidman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 482,074 residents.
How common is Kidman?
Kidman ranks #38,417 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 620 people with the surname Kidman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (711), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Kidman.
Has Kidman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kidman went from 536 recorded bearers to 620. That is an increase of 84 (+15.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,745 to #38,417.
What does the Census say about the background of Kidman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidman, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Kidman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (550 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kidman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (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 Kidman (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 Kidman mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, likely signifying someone who hailed from a farmstead or village. 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 Kidman (0.21 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 share the surname Kidman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.