Kimble last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Kimble is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kimble.

Meaning of Kimble

Derived from a place name meaning "royal fortress" in Old English, or from a diminutive of the given name Kim.

Kimble, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kimble surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kimble in America

Kimble is the 2003rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kimble surname appeared 18,040 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Kimble.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kimble to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2003 1929 3.76%
Count 18,040 17,138 5.13%
Proportion per 100k 6.12 6.35 -3.69%

The history of the last name 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The earliest recorded instances of the name Kimble can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries.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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kimble

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kimble.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kimble was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 59.02% 10,647
Non-Hispanic Black Only 35.37% 6,381
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.49% 88
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.65% 117
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.27% 410
Hispanic Origin 2.20% 397

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kimble has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 59.02% 61.91% -4.78%
Black 35.37% 34.25% 3.22%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.49% 0.42% 15.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.65% 0.64% 1.55%
Two or More Races 2.27% 1.42% 46.07%
Hispanic 2.20% 1.37% 46.50%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kimble was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kimble, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kimble last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kimble-surname-popularity/.

"Kimble last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kimble-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 October, 2024

Kimble last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kimble-surname-popularity/.

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