2000
#10,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,792
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.03
Rare Last name
Kincade
From the Gaelic "Mac Ionghuine," meaning "son of Ionghuine," a personal name derived from "ingean," meaning "nail" or "claw."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,281 Americans carry the last name Kincade. That puts it at #10,664 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,466 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kincade 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
3.3K
1 in 104,466
Census rank
#10,664
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,861 bearers of the surname Kincade in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10664th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincade, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kincade
The surname Kincade originated in Scotland, where the earliest recorded references can be traced back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "ceann" meaning "head" and "cath" meaning "battle" or "warrior," effectively translating to "chief of the battle."
This surname was predominantly found in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Argyll and Perthshire. It is thought to be associated with the clan system, where it may have been a designation for a clan chief or a leader in battle.
One of the earliest known references to the name Kincade can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were records of the Scottish royal treasury. In 1263, a person named "William de Kyncade" was mentioned in these rolls, indicating the presence of the name during that time period.
Another notable historical reference to the surname Kincade is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of documents recording the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name "Gilbert de Kyncade" appears on these rolls, suggesting the presence of the Kincade family in the late 13th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kincade was Sir John Kincade, who lived in the late 14th century. He was a Scottish knight and is mentioned in various historical records from that time period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Kincade was Alexander Kincade, who was born around 1540. He was a Scottish scholar and writer, and his works on Scottish history and literature are still studied today.
Another significant individual with the Kincade surname was Robert Kincade, born in the late 17th century. He was a Scottish merchant and trader who played a significant role in the establishment of trade routes between Scotland and the American colonies.
During the 18th century, the name Kincade was also associated with the Scottish Jacobite risings, with several individuals bearing the surname participating in these conflicts.
Throughout its history, the surname Kincade has been subjected to various spelling variations, including Kincaid, Kyncade, Kyncaid, and Kinckaid, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kincade
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincade, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kincade 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 Kincade surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.0% · 2,003
- Black or African American19.9% · 569
- Two or more races5.4% · 154
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kincade
Kincade 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
#10,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,033
+241 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 27 places
2020
#10,664
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,861
-172 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,538 | 2,792 | 1.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,565 | 3,033 | 1.03 | +241 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 27 places |
| 2020 | #10,664 | 2,861 | 0.96 | -172 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 99 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 Kincade 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 | #10,565 | #10,664 | -0.9% |
| Count | 3,033 | 2,861 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.96 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kincade bearers went from 3,033 to 2,861 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,565 to #10,664.
FAQ
Kincade surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kincade?
Name Census estimates that about 3,281 living Americans carry the surname Kincade. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,466 residents.
How common is Kincade?
Kincade ranks #10,664 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,861 people with the surname Kincade. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Kincade.
Has Kincade become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kincade went from 3,033 recorded bearers to 2,861. That is a decrease of 172 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,565 to #10,664.
What does the Census say about the background of Kincade?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincade, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.0%. The next largest groups are Black (19.9%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Kincade in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.0% (2,003 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kincade appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.0%), Black (19.9%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Kincade (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 Kincade mean?
From the Gaelic "Mac Ionghuine," meaning "son of Ionghuine," a personal name derived from "ingean," meaning "nail" or "claw." 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 Kincade (0.96 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 common is the surname Kincade?
Find out how many people are called Kincade on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.