2000
#109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194,067
First available Census row
Per 100,000 71.94
Common Last name
Kim
A common Korean surname derived from the Chinese word "jin" meaning "gold".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 314,281 Americans carry the last name Kim. That puts it at #71 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 91.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,091 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kim 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
314K
1 in 1,091
Census rank
#71
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
91.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
274K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 274,068 bearers of the surname Kim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 91.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kim
Among Census respondents with the surname Kim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kim 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 Kim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.8% · 257,177
- White2.5% · 6,731
- Two or more races2.5% · 6,728
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 2,478
- Black or African American0.3% · 912
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kim
Kim appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#77
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 262,352
+68,285 bearers (+35.2%)
Per 100,000 88.94
Rank movement Up 32 places
2020
#71
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 274,068
+11,716 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 91.69
Rank movement Up 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109 | 194,067 | 71.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77 | 262,352 | 88.94 | +68,285 bearers (+35.2%) | Up 32 places |
| 2020 | #71 | 274,068 | 91.69 | +11,716 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 6 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 Kim 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 | #77 | #71 | 7.8% |
| Count | 262,352 | 274,068 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 88.94 | 91.69 | 3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kim bearers went from 262,352 to 274,068 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #77 to #71.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kim
FAQ
Kim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kim?
Name Census estimates that about 314,281 living Americans carry the surname Kim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,091 residents.
How common is Kim?
Kim ranks #71 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 91.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 92 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 274,068 people with the surname Kim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (314,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 91.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 91.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 92 of them to have the surname Kim.
Has Kim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kim went from 262,352 recorded bearers to 274,068. That is an increase of 11,716 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #77 to #71.
What does the Census say about the background of Kim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kim, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (257,177 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.8%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Kim (2000, 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 Kim mean?
A common Korean surname derived from the Chinese word "jin" meaning "gold". 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 Kim (91.69 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 many people are called Kim?
See how many people are called Kim on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.