2000
#15,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,740
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Kimbell
A locational surname derived from a place name in Lancashire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,888 Americans carry the last name Kimbell. That puts it at #16,886 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 181,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimbell 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 Kimbell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 181,544
Census rank
#16,886
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,646 bearers of the surname Kimbell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16886th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimbell
The surname Kimbell has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "cym" meaning "entering a valley" and "bell" meaning "a hill or ridge". This suggests that the name originated from a place where people lived near a valley or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kimbell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1195, which mention a William de Kymbel. This indicates that the name had already evolved into its modern spelling by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire, which lists a Richard de Kynebelle in 1273. This variation in spelling highlights the fluidity of surname spellings during that period.
The Kimbell name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John Kymbell is listed. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England.
One noteworthy individual bearing the Kimbell surname was Sir Richard Kembell, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Sussex who lived in the late 15th century. He was known for his extensive property holdings and served as a Member of Parliament for Lewes in 1491.
Another prominent figure was John Kimbell, a renowned English architect who lived from 1623 to 1708. He is best known for his work on the design and construction of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home for British soldiers.
In the 18th century, William Kimbell (1735-1812) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Liverpool. He made his fortune in the cotton trade and donated generously to various charitable causes, including the establishment of schools and hospitals.
The 19th century saw the birth of George Kimbell (1824-1892), a celebrated English poet and playwright. His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning him critical acclaim during his lifetime.
Lastly, a notable figure from the 20th century was Sir Ralph Kimbell (1910-1995), a British diplomat and ambassador. He served in various diplomatic roles, including as the British Ambassador to Belgium from 1964 to 1969.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimbell
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimbell 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 Kimbell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 1,296
- Black or African American12.6% · 208
- Two or more races3.9% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimbell
Kimbell 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
#16,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,743
+3 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Down 1,026 places
2020
#16,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,646
-97 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,455 | 1,740 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,481 | 1,743 | 0.59 | +3 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 1,026 places |
| 2020 | #16,886 | 1,646 | 0.55 | -97 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 405 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 Kimbell 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 | #16,481 | #16,886 | -2.5% |
| Count | 1,743 | 1,646 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.55 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimbell bearers went from 1,743 to 1,646 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 405 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,481 to #16,886.
FAQ
Kimbell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimbell?
Name Census estimates that about 1,888 living Americans carry the surname Kimbell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 181,544 residents.
How common is Kimbell?
Kimbell ranks #16,886 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,646 people with the surname Kimbell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,888), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kimbell.
Has Kimbell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimbell went from 1,743 recorded bearers to 1,646. That is a decrease of 97 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,481 to #16,886.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimbell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbell, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kimbell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (1,296 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimbell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (12.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Kimbell (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 Kimbell mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Lancashire, England. 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 Kimbell (0.55 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 share the surname Kimbell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.