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

Kimes, 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 Kimes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kimes in America

Kimes is the 10541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kimes surname appeared 3,042 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kimes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kimes 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.

The history of the last name Kimes

The surname Kimes is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "kime," meaning a raised ridge or hill. This name is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely referring to individuals who lived near or on a prominent hilltop.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Kimes can be traced back to the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record from 1273, where it appears as "William de Kymes." This suggests that the name was already established in the 13th century, potentially even earlier.

In the late 14th century, the name was documented in the form "Kymmes" in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that era, often influenced by regional dialects and phonetic transcriptions.

One notable historical figure associated with the name was Sir John Kimes, a English knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and served under the House of Lancaster, participating in several significant battles, including the Battle of Towton in 1461.

Another individual of note was William Kimes, a prominent merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and held considerable property in the village of Painswick.

In the 18th century, the name Kimes was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer was Thomas Kimes, a wealthy landowner and farmer from Lincolnshire, born in 1725.

The surname Kimes has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Kimes Hill in Oxfordshire and Kimes Farm in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the surname who resided or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the Kimes surname has appeared in various spellings, including Kymmes, Kymmes, Keymes, and Keimes, reflecting the linguistic and orthographic changes that occurred over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kimes

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

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 Kimes was:

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 Kimes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Kimes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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