2000
#9,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,080
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Kimber
An English occupational surname for one who made or repaired tubs and barrels, derived from the Old English "cymbren".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,565 Americans carry the last name Kimber. That puts it at #9,911 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,144 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimber 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 Kimber with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 96,144
Census rank
#9,911
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,109 bearers of the surname Kimber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9911th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimber, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimber
The surname Kimber originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cymbar," which means a small ridge or hill. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely resided near or on a small hill or elevated area.
The name Kimber is believed to have first appeared in the county of Dorset, located in the southwest of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror.
During the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms, such as Kymber, Kymbare, and Kymbere, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. These variations were often influenced by the local pronunciation and the scribes' interpretations.
Notable historical figures who bore the surname Kimber include John Kimber (c. 1600-1676), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis during the English Civil War. Another significant individual was Edward Kimber (1719-1769), an English writer and historian best known for his work "The Life of Oliver Cromwell."
In the 18th century, the surname Kimber also gained recognition through the efforts of Isaac Kimber (1692-1755), an English writer and biographer who published several works, including a comprehensive history of England. Additionally, Thomas Kimber (c. 1700-1781) was an English engraver and artist known for his contributions to the publication of various literary works.
Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was Henry Kimber (1801-1886), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Chiddingfold in Surrey. He published several theological works and contributed to various literary publications during his lifetime.
Throughout its history, the surname Kimber has been associated with various locations and place names, primarily in the counties of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. Some examples include Kimber Farm in Beaminster, Dorset, and Kimber Hill in South Somerset, both of which likely derived their names from early bearers of the Kimber surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimber
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimber, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimber 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 Kimber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.6% · 1,977
- Black or African American29.1% · 905
- Two or more races3.9% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 79
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimber
Kimber 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
#8,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,838
+758 bearers (+24.6%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 1,097 places
2020
#9,911
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,109
-729 bearers (-19.0%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 1,330 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,678 | 3,080 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,581 | 3,838 | 1.30 | +758 bearers (+24.6%) | Up 1,097 places |
| 2020 | #9,911 | 3,109 | 1.04 | -729 bearers (-19.0%) | Down 1,330 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 Kimber 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 | #8,581 | #9,911 | -15.5% |
| Count | 3,838 | 3,109 | -19.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.04 | -20.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimber bearers went from 3,838 to 3,109 (-19.0% change). The surname moved down 1,330 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,581 to #9,911.
FAQ
Kimber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimber?
Name Census estimates that about 3,565 living Americans carry the surname Kimber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,144 residents.
How common is Kimber?
Kimber ranks #9,911 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,109 people with the surname Kimber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Kimber.
Has Kimber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimber went from 3,838 recorded bearers to 3,109. That is a decrease of 729 (-19.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,581 to #9,911.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimber, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.6%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) 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 Kimber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.6% (1,977 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.6%), Black (29.1%), 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 Kimber (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 Kimber mean?
An English occupational surname for one who made or repaired tubs and barrels, derived from the Old English "cymbren". 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 Kimber (1.04 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 Americans have the surname Kimber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.