2000
#14,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,913
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Kimmons
Derived from a place name meaning "common," likely referring to a family living near a shared pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,188 Americans carry the last name Kimmons. That puts it at #14,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,652 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimmons 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
2.2K
1 in 156,652
Census rank
#14,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,908 bearers of the surname Kimmons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimmons, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimmons
The surname Kimmons has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cyn," meaning royal or noble, and "mund," meaning protection or guardianship. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term used to identify individuals who served in a protective capacity for members of the nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kimmons can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Kynemunde." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, as it adapted to regional dialects and scribal conventions.
During the 13th century, the name Kimmons appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it was listed as "Kynemunde." This entry suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.
In the 14th century, the name Kimmons was found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where it was recorded as "Kynmonde." This spelling variation further illustrates the fluidity of surnames during this period, as they were often adapted to local pronunciations and spelling conventions.
One notable individual who bore the surname Kimmons was John Kimmons, a merchant and landowner from Somerset, who lived in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the region.
Another significant figure was William Kimmons, a lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London during the 16th century. He served as a legal advisor to several influential families and played a role in the administration of justice during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the name Kimmons appeared in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset, where the marriage of Thomas Kimmons and Elizabeth Smythe was recorded in 1642.
A prominent individual bearing the surname Kimmons was Captain James Kimmons, who served in the British Royal Navy during the 18th century. He was known for his participation in several naval battles and was commended for his bravery and leadership.
The 19th century saw the birth of John Kimmons, a renowned architect from Yorkshire, who was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Town Hall in Leeds and the Kimmons Memorial Library in his hometown.
Throughout history, the surname Kimmons has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, lawyers, military personnel, and architects. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have shaped societies over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimmons
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimmons, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimmons 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 Kimmons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.0% · 1,050
- Black or African American35.5% · 678
- Two or more races5.5% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimmons
Kimmons 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
#14,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
+75 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 528 places
2020
#14,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,908
-80 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,353 | 1,913 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,881 | 1,988 | 0.67 | +75 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 528 places |
| 2020 | #14,899 | 1,908 | 0.64 | -80 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 18 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 Kimmons 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 | #14,881 | #14,899 | -0.1% |
| Count | 1,988 | 1,908 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimmons bearers went from 1,988 to 1,908 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,881 to #14,899.
FAQ
Kimmons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimmons?
Name Census estimates that about 2,188 living Americans carry the surname Kimmons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,652 residents.
How common is Kimmons?
Kimmons ranks #14,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,908 people with the surname Kimmons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kimmons.
Has Kimmons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimmons went from 1,988 recorded bearers to 1,908. That is a decrease of 80 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,881 to #14,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimmons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimmons, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.0%. The next largest groups are Black (35.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Kimmons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.0% (1,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimmons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.0%), Black (35.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Kimmons (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 Kimmons mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "common," likely referring to a family living near a shared pasture. 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 Kimmons (0.64 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 Americans have the surname Kimmons?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.