2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kilgrow
From a Scottish place name, potentially referring to someone from the church settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kilgrow. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kilgrow 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kilgrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilgrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kilgrow
The surname KILGROW originates from Scotland, specifically the Lowlands region, and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "cill," meaning church or chapel, and "cru," meaning a fold or enclosure for livestock, suggesting that the name may have been associated with a settlement near a church or chapel that had a livestock enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KILGROW can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. This indicates that the name was in use among the Scottish gentry during the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named John KILGROW was mentioned in the records of the Scottish Parliament as a landowner and prominent citizen of Lanarkshire. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the region for several generations.
During the 16th century, the KILGROW name appeared in various legal documents and property records in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around the town of Jedburgh. One such record from 1567 mentions a William KILGROW, a merchant and freeman of the burgh of Jedburgh.
In the 17th century, a branch of the KILGROW family settled in the Scottish Highlands, where they became known for their involvement in the textile trade. A prominent member of this Highland branch was Robert KILGROW (1645-1720), who established a successful wool and linen business in Inverness.
Another notable individual with the surname KILGROW was James KILGROW (1786-1862), a Scottish philosopher and educator who served as the rector of the High School of Glasgow. He was widely respected for his contributions to the field of education and published several influential works on moral philosophy and pedagogy.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including KILGOUR, KILGOR, and KILGORE, likely due to regional dialects and scribal errors in historical records. However, the core root of the name and its Scottish origins remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kilgrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilgrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kilgrow 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 Kilgrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kilgrow
Kilgrow appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+16 bearers (+16.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,947 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+16.0%) | Up 15,947 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 Kilgrow 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 | #160,975 | #145,028 | 9.9% |
| Count | 100 | 116 | 16.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 29.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kilgrow bearers went from 100 to 116 (+16.0% change). The surname moved up 15,947 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kilgrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kilgrow?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kilgrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kilgrow?
Kilgrow ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kilgrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kilgrow.
Has Kilgrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kilgrow went from 100 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 16 (+16.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kilgrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilgrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kilgrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kilgrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kilgrow (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 Kilgrow mean?
From a Scottish place name, potentially referring to someone from the church settlement. 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 Kilgrow (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 Kilgrow?
Find out how many people are called Kilgrow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.