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

Kidwell, 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 Kidwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kidwell in America

Kidwell is the 3951st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kidwell surname appeared 9,006 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Kidwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kidwell 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 Kidwell

The surname Kidwell has its origins in England and is believed to have originated in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cid" meaning a young goat or kid, and "well" meaning a spring or stream. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a spring or stream where young goats or kids were found.

The earliest recorded use of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In 1273, a William Kydewelle was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.

The name has also been recorded in various historical documents throughout the centuries. For instance, a John Kidwell was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327. The Subsidy Rolls were records of taxes levied on the personal property of individuals.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of Worcestershire, where a Thomas Kidwell was listed as a taxpayer in 1672. The Hearth Tax was a tax imposed on household fireplaces or stoves in England and Wales during the 17th century.

One notable individual bearing the surname Kidwell was Richard Kidwell (1655-1726), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Warden of New College, Oxford, from 1703 until his death.

Another historical figure with this name was Samuel Kidwell (1641-1704), an English Quaker minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Treatise on Baptism" and "A Testimony against the False Teachers and Deceivers of this Age."

In the 18th century, the Kidwell family had established a presence in the American colonies. One notable member was Joseph Kidwell (1735-1815), a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and a delegate to the Virginia Convention of 1788, which ratified the United States Constitution.

During the 19th century, the name appeared in various records across different parts of the United States. For example, John Kidwell (1818-1896) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Kentucky, known for his involvement in the horse breeding industry.

Another individual of note was William Kidwell (1842-1915), a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kidwell

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

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

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

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