2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kimberlain
A surname derived from the Old English phrase "cymbel lanu," meaning ridge by the river bend.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kimberlain. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimberlain 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.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kimberlain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimberlain
The surname KIMBERLAIN is of Anglo-Saxon origin and dates back to the medieval period in Britain. It is a locational name derived from the place name Kimberley, which was once a village located near the town of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. The name Kimberley itself is believed to come from the Old English words "cyning" meaning "king" and "byr" meaning "settlement" or "dwelling," indicating that it was likely once a royal estate or manor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KIMBERLAIN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Kineberlai," referring to a landowner or tenant in the village of Kimberley.
In the 13th century, a man named William de Kimberlain was documented as a resident of the village of Kimberley in various historical records. His name reflects the common practice at the time of adding the prefix "de" to denote one's place of origin.
During the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Kimberlain, a merchant and landowner who held estates in both Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. He was recorded in tax rolls and land deeds from that period.
In the 16th century, a member of the KIMBERLAIN family, Thomas Kimberlain (1530-1592), was a renowned clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Llandaff in Wales.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname was Sir Henry Kimberlain (1622-1688), a military officer who fought for the Royalist forces during the English Civil War. He was knighted for his service and later served as a member of Parliament.
During the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Kimberlain (1710-1782), a wealthy industrialist and landowner who owned several coal mines and factories in the Midlands region of England.
The surname KIMBERLAIN has maintained a presence in various parts of England, particularly in the East Midlands region where it originated. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name's roots can be traced back to the medieval village of Kimberley in Nottinghamshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimberlain
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimberlain 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 Kimberlain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 99
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimberlain
Kimberlain 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,548 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,367 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 5,548 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,367 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 Kimberlain 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 | #149,395 | #145,028 | 2.9% |
| Count | 110 | 116 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimberlain bearers went from 110 to 116 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,367 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kimberlain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimberlain?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kimberlain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kimberlain?
Kimberlain ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Kimberlain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kimberlain.
Has Kimberlain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimberlain went from 110 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimberlain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimberlain, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Kimberlain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimberlain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Kimberlain (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 Kimberlain mean?
A surname derived from the Old English phrase "cymbel lanu," meaning ridge by the river bend. 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 Kimberlain (0.04 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 people share the surname Kimberlain?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.