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

Killam, 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 Killam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Killam in America

Killam is the 17193rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Killam surname appeared 1,647 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 Killam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Killam 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 Killam

The surname Killam has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cyll," meaning a stream or brook, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name originated from a place name describing a settlement near a stream or brook.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Chileham" in Norfolk. This entry likely refers to the village of Kilham, which was later recorded as "Killam" in the 13th century.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the name Killam appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex. These references indicate that the Killam family was well-established in different parts of England during this period.

One notable individual bearing the surname Killam was Sir Robert Killam, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 14th century. He was a landowner in Wiltshire and served as a knight of the shire for the county in the Parliament of 1362.

In the 16th century, William Killam (c. 1520-1589) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He served as the mayor of Bristol in 1572 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.

Another notable figure was Thomas Killam (1640-1718), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the late 17th century. He served as the minister of the church in Ipswich, Massachusetts, for over 40 years and was a highly respected figure in the community.

In the 18th century, John Killam (1725-1808) was a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia. He owned several plantations and was involved in the tobacco trade, which was a significant economic activity in the colony at the time.

During the 19th century, Sir Henry Killam (1822-1896) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Canada. He made his fortune in the shipping and mining industries and was instrumental in the development of the Maritime provinces. He also served as a member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Killam

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

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

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

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