2000
#1,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.35
Uncommon Last name
Kimble
Derived from a place name meaning "royal fortress" in Old English, or from a diminutive of the given name Kim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,895 Americans carry the last name Kimble. That puts it at #2,038 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,228 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimble 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 Kimble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,228
Census rank
#2,038
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,349 bearers of the surname Kimble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2038th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimble, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimble
The surname Kimble is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cymbel," meaning a small cymbal or a bell. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were bell-ringers or involved in the production of bells.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kimble can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, compiled in 1273, where a person named Richard Kembell is mentioned. The variations in spelling, such as Kembell and Kembel, were common during that time period.
In the 15th century, the Kimble surname gained prominence in the county of Buckinghamshire, particularly in the village of Kimble, which likely contributed to the name's establishment. The village's name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "cymbel" and "hyll," meaning "bell hill" or "cymbal hill."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Kimble surname was John Kimble, who lived in the late 15th century and was a prominent landowner in Buckinghamshire. Another notable figure was Sir Henry Kimble, a distinguished soldier and military commander who served under King Henry VIII during the 16th century.
Moving forward to the 17th century, the Kimble surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of England. William Kimble, born in 1620, was a renowned scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religion and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the Kimble family established a strong presence in the city of London. Edward Kimble, born in 1712, was a successful merchant and alderman who played a pivotal role in the city's governance and trade affairs.
During the 19th century, the Kimble surname gained recognition in the literary world. Elizabeth Kimble, born in 1825, was a celebrated poet and novelist whose works explored themes of love, nature, and social commentary.
As the centuries progressed, the Kimble surname continued to spread across various regions of England and, later, to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Despite the variations in spelling and pronunciation, the name has maintained its distinctive origins and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimble
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimble, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimble 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 Kimble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 9,659
- Black or African American35.3% · 6,118
- Two or more races4.5% · 783
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 587
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 108
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimble
Kimble 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
#2,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,040
+902 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 6.12
Rank movement Down 74 places
2020
#2,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,349
-691 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 5.80
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,929 | 17,138 | 6.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,003 | 18,040 | 6.12 | +902 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 74 places |
| 2020 | #2,038 | 17,349 | 5.80 | -691 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 35 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 Kimble 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 | #2,003 | #2,038 | -1.7% |
| Count | 18,040 | 17,349 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.12 | 5.80 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimble bearers went from 18,040 to 17,349 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,003 to #2,038.
FAQ
Kimble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimble?
Name Census estimates that about 19,895 living Americans carry the surname Kimble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,228 residents.
How common is Kimble?
Kimble ranks #2,038 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,349 people with the surname Kimble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,895), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Kimble.
Has Kimble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimble went from 18,040 recorded bearers to 17,349. That is a decrease of 691 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,003 to #2,038.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimble, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kimble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (9,659 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (35.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Kimble (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 Kimble mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "royal fortress" in Old English, or from a diminutive of the given name Kim. 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 Kimble (5.80 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 Kimble?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.