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

Kim, 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 Kim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kim in America

Kim is the 77th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kim surname appeared 262,352 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 89 people would have the surname Kim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kim 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 Kim

The surname "KIM" is of Korean origin and has a long history dating back to the 7th century AD during the Silla Kingdom on the Korean peninsula. It is derived from the Old Korean word "gim" or "kim", meaning "gold" or "iron".

In ancient times, the name was often associated with nobility or high social status, as possessions of gold and iron were symbols of wealth and power. The earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Samguk Sagi, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms period in Korea, which mentions individuals with the surname Kim.

During the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392 AD), the Kim clan became one of the most prominent and influential families in Korea. Many members of the Kim family held high positions in the royal court and made significant contributions to the development of Korean culture and society.

One notable figure from this period was Kim Bu-sik (1075-1151 AD), a renowned historian and scholar who authored the Samguk Sagi, a comprehensive history of the Three Kingdoms period. Another prominent individual was Kim Gongyang (1516-1600 AD), a celebrated Confucian scholar and philosopher during the Joseon Dynasty.

In the 19th century, the Kim family played a crucial role in the Donghak Peasant Revolution, a influential peasant uprising against the ruling Joseon Dynasty. One of the leaders of the revolution was Kim Inhu (1826-1906), a Donghak leader and religious reformer.

During the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Kim made significant contributions to Korean history and culture. Kim Gu (1876-1949) was a prominent independence activist and the final President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea during the Japanese occupation. Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009), a former President of South Korea, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts to promote democracy and human rights in South Korea.

Throughout its long history, the surname Kim has been closely associated with Korea's cultural, political, and intellectual heritage, reflecting the enduring influence and significance of this ancient family name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kim

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

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

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

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