2000
#2,927
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,290
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.19
Uncommon Last name
Kimbrough
From the English place name meaning "royal fortification," derived from the Old English elements "cyning" (king) and "burg" (fortress).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,459 Americans carry the last name Kimbrough. That puts it at #2,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimbrough 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
13K
1 in 25,467
Census rank
#2,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,737 bearers of the surname Kimbrough in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbrough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimbrough
The surname Kimbrough originated in England, tracing its roots back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cyning" and "burh," which combined mean "king's borough" or "king's fortified town." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a town or settlement owned by the king.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Kineburghe." This entry indicates that the name was already in use in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England.
In the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Kyneburghe, Kineburgh, and Kineburrow. These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling conventions during that time, as well as regional pronunciations.
Notable individuals bearing the Kimbrough surname include Sir John Kimbrough, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. Another early figure was William Kimbrough, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who was born around 1425.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name became associated with several places in England, such as Kimbrough Park in Nottinghamshire and Kimbrough Manor in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the presence of families bearing the name in those areas.
One notable figure from this period was Thomas Kimbrough (1545-1619), a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Southwark. He was a prominent figure in the political and religious debates of the time.
In the 18th century, the Kimbrough name gained prominence in the American colonies, with several individuals bearing the surname participating in the Revolutionary War. One such figure was Captain John Kimbrough (1742-1815), who served in the Continental Army and fought in the Battle of Guilford Court House.
As the centuries passed, the Kimbrough surname continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, and academics. Emily Kimbrough (1899-1989) was a notable American author and lecturer, best known for her memoir "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay."
Throughout its history, the surname Kimbrough has maintained a strong connection to its Anglo-Saxon roots, reflecting the rich tapestry of English heritage and the enduring legacy of names that have been passed down through generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimbrough
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbrough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimbrough 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 Kimbrough surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.3% · 5,553
- White42.8% · 5,019
- Two or more races5.8% · 684
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 378
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimbrough
Kimbrough 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
#2,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,034
+744 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 4.08
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#2,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,737
-297 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 3.93
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,927 | 11,290 | 4.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,978 | 12,034 | 4.08 | +744 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #2,998 | 11,737 | 3.93 | -297 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 20 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 Kimbrough 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 | #2,978 | #2,998 | -0.7% |
| Count | 12,034 | 11,737 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.08 | 3.93 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimbrough bearers went from 12,034 to 11,737 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,978 to #2,998.
FAQ
Kimbrough surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimbrough?
Name Census estimates that about 13,459 living Americans carry the surname Kimbrough. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,467 residents.
How common is Kimbrough?
Kimbrough ranks #2,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,737 people with the surname Kimbrough. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Kimbrough.
Has Kimbrough become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimbrough went from 12,034 recorded bearers to 11,737. That is a decrease of 297 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,978 to #2,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimbrough?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimbrough, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.3%. The next largest groups are White (42.8%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kimbrough in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.3% (5,553 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimbrough appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.3%), White (42.8%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Kimbrough (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 Kimbrough mean?
From the English place name meaning "royal fortification," derived from the Old English elements "cyning" (king) and "burg" (fortress). 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 Kimbrough (3.93 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 Kimbrough?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.