2000
#11,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Kimsey
Derived from a place name meaning "Cynesige's island" in Old English, likely referring to an early bearer's residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,663 Americans carry the last name Kimsey. That puts it at #12,697 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,710 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimsey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kimsey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,710
Census rank
#12,697
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,322 bearers of the surname Kimsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12697th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimsey
The surname Kimsey is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Cyma," which means "visitor" or "guest." The name may have initially referred to someone who frequently traveled or visited different places.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kimsey can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, where a William de Kymesay is mentioned in 1297. This indicates that the surname was already in use during the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where a Richard de Kymesey is listed. The name also appeared in the Wills and Inventories of the Archdeaconry of Richmond in 1392, where a Thomas Kymsey is mentioned.
One notable historical figure with the surname Kimsey was John Kimsey, who lived in the 16th century. He was an English clergyman and served as the Rector of Stoke Dry in Rutland from 1542 until his death in 1583.
Another individual of note was William Kimsey, born in 1628 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Leeds during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the surname Kimsey was also found in various parts of England. One example is Robert Kimsey, born in 1712 in Lincolnshire, who was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker.
Moving into the 19th century, the surname Kimsey continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable figure was Henry Kimsey, born in 1823 in Derbyshire. He was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in the region.
Another individual of significance was Elizabeth Kimsey, born in 1845 in Lancashire. She was a pioneering educator and established one of the first schools for girls in the area, providing education opportunities for underprivileged children.
Over time, the surname Kimsey has evolved and taken on different spellings, such as Kymsey, Kemsay, and Kimsay, reflecting regional variations and the influence of local dialects. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to its Old English roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimsey 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 Kimsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 2,068
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 88
- Two or more races3.6% · 84
- Black or African American2.3% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimsey
Kimsey 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
#12,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,408
+2 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 890 places
2020
#12,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,322
-86 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,917 | 2,406 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,807 | 2,408 | 0.82 | +2 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 890 places |
| 2020 | #12,697 | 2,322 | 0.78 | -86 bearers (-3.6%) | Up 110 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 Kimsey 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 | #12,807 | #12,697 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,408 | 2,322 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.78 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimsey bearers went from 2,408 to 2,322 (-3.6% change). The surname moved up 110 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,807 to #12,697.
FAQ
Kimsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimsey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,663 living Americans carry the surname Kimsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,710 residents.
How common is Kimsey?
Kimsey ranks #12,697 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,322 people with the surname Kimsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,663), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Kimsey.
Has Kimsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimsey went from 2,408 recorded bearers to 2,322. That is a decrease of 86 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,807 to #12,697.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Kimsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (2,068 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Kimsey (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 Kimsey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Cynesige's island" in Old English, likely referring to an early bearer's residence. 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 Kimsey (0.78 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 surname Kimsey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.