2000
#3,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.33
Rare Last name
Kidwell
Derived from a place name meaning "spring or stream frequented by goats" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,999 Americans carry the last name Kidwell. That puts it at #3,953 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,279 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kidwell 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 Kidwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10.0K
1 in 34,279
Census rank
#3,953
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,720 bearers of the surname Kidwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3953rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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The name has also been recorded in various historical documents throughout the centuries.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kidwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kidwell 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 Kidwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 7,827
- Two or more races4.0% · 353
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 284
- Black or African American1.8% · 154
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kidwell
Kidwell 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
#3,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,006
+36 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.05
Rank movement Down 312 places
2020
#3,953
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,720
-286 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.92
Rank movement Down 2 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,639 | 8,970 | 3.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,951 | 9,006 | 3.05 | +36 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 312 places |
| 2020 | #3,953 | 8,720 | 2.92 | -286 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 2 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 Kidwell 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 | #3,951 | #3,953 | -0.1% |
| Count | 9,006 | 8,720 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.05 | 2.92 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kidwell bearers went from 9,006 to 8,720 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 2 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,951 to #3,953.
FAQ
Kidwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kidwell?
Name Census estimates that about 9,999 living Americans carry the surname Kidwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,279 residents.
How common is Kidwell?
Kidwell ranks #3,953 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,720 people with the surname Kidwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Kidwell.
Has Kidwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kidwell went from 9,006 recorded bearers to 8,720. That is a decrease of 286 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,951 to #3,953.
What does the Census say about the background of Kidwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kidwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Kidwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (7,827 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kidwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Kidwell (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 Kidwell mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "spring or stream frequented by goats" in Old English. 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 Kidwell (2.92 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 Kidwell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.