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

Kilgo, 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 Kilgo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kilgo in America

Kilgo is the 20971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kilgo surname appeared 1,255 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 Kilgo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kilgo 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 Kilgo

The surname KILGO is believed to have originated in Scotland, with its roots tracing back to the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "coille" meaning "wood" and "gobhar" meaning "goat," potentially referring to someone who lived in a wooded area or worked with goats.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the records of the Parish of Kilwinning in Ayrshire, Scotland, where a James Kilgo was recorded as a landowner in the late 1600s. Similar spellings such as "Kilgour" and "Kilgore" were also documented in the region during this time period.

In the 18th century, the KILGO surname began appearing in various historical documents, including court records and property deeds. One notable individual was John Kilgo, a merchant from Glasgow who was involved in the transatlantic trade with the American colonies in the mid-1700s.

As the name spread beyond Scotland, it took on various spellings and adaptations. In the United States, the KILGO surname can be traced back to the early 19th century, with some of the earliest recorded instances found in Virginia and North Carolina.

Among the notable individuals bearing the KILGO surname throughout history are:

1. Robert Kilgo (1861-1943), an American educator and president of Trinity College (now Duke University) from 1910 to 1924.
2. William Kilgo (1887-1968), an American businessman and co-founder of the Kilgo Furniture Company in North Carolina.
3. Mary Kilgo (1920-2007), an American author and playwright known for her works on Southern culture and history.
4. James Kilgo (1941-2005), an American novelist and educator who served as the director of the creative writing program at the University of Arkansas.
5. John Kilgo (1932-2000), an American football coach who led teams at various universities, including Mississippi State and Memphis State.

While the KILGO surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has left its mark in various fields, from education and literature to business and sports, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kilgo

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

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

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

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