2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kielma
A surname of Polish origin, possibly derived from the word "kielmo" meaning a type of hatchet or axe.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kielma. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kielma 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kielma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielma, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kielma
The surname KIELMA is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "kiełbasa," which means sausage. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for someone involved in the making or selling of sausages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KIELMA surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Kielce, located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship of southern Poland. In 1576, a man named Jakub KIELMA was listed as a resident of this village.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various documents related to the city of Kraków. A merchant named Jan KIELMA is mentioned in a trade register from 1642, indicating that the family had established itself in this important Polish city.
During the 18th century, the KIELMA surname began to spread beyond the borders of Poland. In 1712, a soldier named Stefan KIELMA was recorded as serving in the Austrian army. This suggests that some members of the family had migrated to other parts of Central Europe.
One of the most notable individuals with the KIELMA surname was Karol KIELMA, a Polish philosopher and writer who lived from 1805 to 1876. He is best known for his work on the philosophy of history and his contributions to the development of Polish national consciousness.
Another significant figure was Józef KIELMA, a Polish military officer who fought in the November Uprising of 1830-1831 against Russian rule. He was born in 1795 and died in 1854 after spending several years in exile following the failure of the uprising.
In the 19th century, the KIELMA surname also appeared in various records from the Russian Empire. This was likely due to the migration of Polish families to areas under Russian control, such as the territories of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine.
One example from this period is Franciszek KIELMA, a landowner and philanthropist who lived from 1821 to 1895 in the Volhynian Governorate of the Russian Empire (now part of Ukraine). He was known for his support of educational initiatives and his efforts to promote the Polish language and culture in the region.
While the KIELMA surname originated in Poland, it eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, carried by those who migrated or were displaced due to historical events and conflicts. However, its roots can be traced back to the 16th century and the village of Kielce, where it likely began as an occupational surname related to the sausage-making trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kielma
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielma, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kielma 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 Kielma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kielma
Kielma 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-22 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 29,660 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 29,660 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Kielma 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kielma bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kielma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kielma?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kielma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kielma?
Kielma ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Kielma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kielma.
Has Kielma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kielma went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kielma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kielma, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kielma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kielma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Hispanic (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Kielma (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 Kielma mean?
A surname of Polish origin, possibly derived from the word "kielmo" meaning a type of hatchet or axe. 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 Kielma (0.04 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 common is the surname Kielma?
See how many people are called Kielma on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.