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

Kieft, 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 Kieft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kieft in America

Kieft is the 38155th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kieft surname appeared 581 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kieft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kieft 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 Kieft

The surname Kieft originated in the Netherlands, emerging in the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "kieft," which means "jawbone" or "jaw." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone with a prominent jawline or a strong, determined personality.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Kieft can be found in various Dutch records, particularly in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland. One of the earliest known mentions of the name appears in the records of the city of Amsterdam in the year 1587, when a man named Jan Kieft was listed as a resident.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence with Willem Kieft, the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherland (now known as New York) from 1638 to 1647. Willem Kieft, born in 1597 in Amsterdam, played a significant role in the early history of the Dutch settlement in North America, albeit controversially due to his hostile policies towards Native Americans.

Another notable figure bearing the name Kieft was Michiel Kieft, a Dutch painter born in Amsterdam in 1627. He was known for his still-life paintings and landscapes, and his works can be found in various museums across Europe.

In the 19th century, the name Kieft was associated with Petrus Theodorus Kieft, a Dutch-born American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1857 to 1859. Petrus Theodorus Kieft was born in Amsterdam in 1808 and immigrated to the United States in the 1840s.

The name Kieft has also been linked to various place names in the Netherlands, such as Kieft, a village in the municipality of Wijk bij Duurstede in the province of Utrecht. Additionally, the surname is sometimes found with variations in spelling, such as Kift or Kijft, reflecting regional linguistic differences within the Netherlands.

While the name Kieft is not among the most common Dutch surnames, it has a rich history dating back to the 16th century and has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including politics, art, and colonial administration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kieft

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

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

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

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