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

Killebrew, 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 Killebrew surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Killebrew in America

Killebrew is the 10998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Killebrew surname appeared 2,892 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 Killebrew.

We can also compare 2010 data for Killebrew 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 Killebrew

The surname Killebrew has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "cille a' bhruith," which translates to "the place of the brewed ale" or "the church of the brewers." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a brewery or ale house located near a church or monastery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1538, where a person named William Killebrew is mentioned. This provides evidence of the name's existence in Scotland during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name Killebrew appeared in various parish records and court documents across Scotland. For instance, John Killebrew, born in 1612 in Aberdeenshire, was recorded as a landowner and farmer in the region.

As the centuries progressed, some members of the Killebrew family emigrated from Scotland to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable individual was Harmon Killebrew (1936-2011), an American professional baseball player who played for the Minnesota Twins and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Other historical figures bearing the Killebrew surname include:

1. Sir William Killebrew (1570-1627), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Denmark during the reign of King James VI.
2. Reverend John Killebrew (1685-1752), a Scottish Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the establishment of religious communities in the American colonies.
3. Mary Killebrew (1790-1868), an American pioneer and landowner who settled in Tennessee and became known for her contributions to the early development of the state.
4. James Killebrew (1828-1909), an American jurist and politician who served as a judge in the Supreme Court of Tennessee and as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
5. Alexander Killebrew (1865-1932), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Western Australia for several years in the early 20th century.

While the name Killebrew has Scottish roots, it has since spread across various regions and cultures, with individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Killebrew

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

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

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

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