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

Kien, 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 Kien surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kien in America

Kien is the 37180th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kien surname appeared 600 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 Kien.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kien 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 Kien

The surname KIEN is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "kien," which referred to a type of wood used for making torches or kindling. This suggests that the name may have been initially assigned as an occupational surname for individuals involved in the production or trade of such materials.

One of the earliest known references to the KIEN surname can be found in a baptismal record from the town of Nuremberg, dated 1542. This record mentions a certain Johann Kien, who was likely a resident of the area at that time. Other early records from the same region include the birth of Hans Kien in 1587 and the marriage of Katherina Kien in 1612.

As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kiehn, Kihn, and Kehn. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and scribal conventions of the time. Historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries show instances of the KIEN surname in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Prussia.

One notable figure bearing the KIEN surname was Johann Friedrich Kien (1718-1798), a German painter and engraver from Dresden. His works were primarily focused on portraiture and religious subjects, and some of his engravings can be found in various art collections across Europe.

Another individual worth mentioning is Karl August Kien (1787-1859), a German botanist and professor at the University of Berlin. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and is credited with describing several new species of plants.

In the 19th century, the KIEN surname also appeared in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. For instance, records show a Gustav Kien born in 1832 in the city of Riga, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time.

One of the more prominent figures with the KIEN surname was Wilhelm Kien (1857-1925), a German artist and illustrator known for his work in children's literature. His illustrations adorned numerous books and magazines, and he is considered a significant figure in the golden age of German children's book illustration.

As for place names associated with the KIEN surname, there is a small village called Kienbach in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, which may have had some connection to the name's origins or early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kien

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!