2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kimling
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "kemeling", meaning someone who combed wool.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Kimling. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimling 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Kimling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimling
The surname KIMLING originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the 15th or 16th century, derived from the Old German word "kimling," which referred to a small, shallow pond or pool of water. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive reference to someone who lived near such a body of water or came from a place with a similar topographical feature.
One of the earliest known references to the KIMLING name can be found in a 16th-century church record from the town of Neumünster, near Kiel, where a certain Hans Kimling was listed as a resident. Another early mention of the name appears in a 1612 census record from the village of Neustadt, near Hamburg, which included a family by the name of Kimling among its residents.
In the 17th century, records show a Johannes Kimling, born in 1637, who was a respected scholar and theologian in the city of Rostock. He authored several influential works on religious philosophy and served as a professor at the University of Rostock until his death in 1707.
During the 18th century, the KIMLING name spread to other parts of northern Germany, as well as neighboring regions of Denmark and the Netherlands. One noteworthy individual from this period was Friedrich Kimling, a merchant and ship owner from Hamburg who was born in 1742 and played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the KIMLING name began to appear in other parts of Europe and beyond, likely due to emigration from Germany. In 1832, a man named Heinrich Kimling was recorded as having arrived in the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. He went on to establish a successful farming operation and had several children, contributing to the spread of the KIMLING name in America.
Another prominent figure bearing the KIMLING surname was Otto Kimling, a German engineer and inventor born in 1859. He is credited with developing several important innovations in the field of textile machinery, which greatly improved the efficiency of fabric production during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the KIMLING surname who have left their mark on history, but there are undoubtedly many more whose stories have been lost to time. The name itself remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of northern Germany and the enduring influence of its linguistic traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimling
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimling 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 Kimling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 92
- Two or more races6.1% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimling
Kimling 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+12 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,091 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-39 bearers (-28.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 1,091 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -39 bearers (-28.3%) | Down 31,457 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 Kimling 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 | #124,548 | #156,005 | -25.3% |
| Count | 138 | 99 | -28.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimling bearers went from 138 to 99 (-28.3% change). The surname moved down 31,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #156,005.
FAQ
Kimling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimling?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Kimling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Kimling?
Kimling ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Kimling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kimling.
Has Kimling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimling went from 138 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 39 (-28.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimling, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.1%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Kimling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Kimling (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 Kimling mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English word "kemeling", meaning someone who combed wool. 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 Kimling (0.03 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 have the last name Kimling?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Kimling on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.