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

Kies, 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 Kies surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kies in America

Kies is the 17691st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kies surname appeared 1,586 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kies.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kies 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 Kies

The surname "KIES" is believed to have originated in Germany in the medieval period, likely derived from the Old German word "kiesa" or "kies," meaning "pebble" or "gravel." It is thought that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a gravelly area or worked with gravel or stones.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records and manuscripts from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, with spellings such as "Kiesen," "Kysen," and "Kiesser." One of the earliest recorded instances is a mention of a Peter Kies in a land deed from the town of Bamberg in 1271.

The name can also be traced to certain place names in Germany, such as the town of Kiesen in the state of Baden-Württemberg, which may have influenced the surname's development. Additionally, some historians believe the name could be related to the Old German word "kies," meaning "to choose," suggesting it may have been an occupational name for a selector or chooser.

Among notable individuals with the surname "KIES" throughout history are:

1. Hans Kies (c. 1450-1516), a German sculptor and woodcarver known for his intricate works in churches and monasteries across southern Germany.

2. Catharina Kies (1546-1620), a German herbalist and midwife who authored one of the earliest known medical texts written by a woman in Germany.

3. Johann Kies (1713-1781), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and wrote extensively on biblical interpretation.

4. Karl Kies (1821-1898), a German-American inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in the brewing industry and helped establish the Anheuser-Busch brewing company in St. Louis, Missouri.

5. Gertrud Kies (1889-1976), a German artist known for her Expressionist paintings and etchings, many of which depicted scenes from her native Rhineland region.

While the surname "KIES" is not among the most common in German-speaking regions today, its historical roots can be traced back several centuries, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings often found in European surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kies

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kies, 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!