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

Kilson, 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 Kilson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kilson in America

Kilson is the 71042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kilson surname appeared 275 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 Kilson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kilson 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 Kilson

The surname Kilson originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cill" meaning a kiln or furnace, and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a kiln or a potter's workshop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kilson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cilletun" in reference to a settlement in Wiltshire. Over time, the spelling evolved to its current form, Kilson, reflecting the changes in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

In the 13th century, records show a William Kilson residing in the village of Kilnhurst, located in South Yorkshire. This place name is likely derived from the same origins as the surname, further reinforcing its connection to kilns or pottery-making settlements.

Notable individuals with the surname Kilson include John Kilson (1572-1634), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious treatises during the Puritan era. Another prominent figure was Margaret Kilson (1762-1838), a renowned potter and ceramicist from Staffordshire, known for her intricate earthenware designs.

In the 19th century, Thomas Kilson (1815-1897) was a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who established a textile manufacturing company in Manchester, contributing to the city's economic growth during the Industrial Revolution.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of James Kilson (1688-1756), a settler from Yorkshire who arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 18th century.

Another notable figure was Elizabeth Kilson (1876-1952), an American activist and advocate for women's suffrage, who played a vital role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in the United States.

While the surname Kilson may not be among the most common today, its rich history and origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it was closely linked to the pottery and kiln industry, as well as the settlements that grew around these trades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kilson

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

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

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

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