2000
#1,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.61
Uncommon Last name
Kincaid
From the Gaelic "ceann cadha," meaning "head of the pass," likely referring to a gatekeeper or chief of a mountain pass.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,809 Americans carry the last name Kincaid. That puts it at #2,043 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kincaid 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 Kincaid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,303
Census rank
#2,043
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,274 bearers of the surname Kincaid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2043rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kincaid
The surname Kincaid is of Scottish origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "ceann" meaning head and "cath" meaning battle, thus translating to "head of the battle" or "leader in battle". The name was likely given as a nickname or epithet to a distinguished warrior or chieftain.
The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Richard de Kyncaith, who is mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Stirlingshire, Scotland.
In the 16th century, the Kincaids were a prominent family in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Stirling and Lennox. The Kincaid Baronetcy of Bantaskine was created in 1686 for John Kincaid, a member of the Scottish Parliament.
One notable bearer of the name was Alexander Kincaid (1618-1699), a Scottish churchman who served as the Bishop of Aberdeen and played a significant role in the Scottish Episcopal Church during a tumultuous period of religious turmoil.
Another famous Kincaid was James Kincaid (1629-1699), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as the Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1688 to 1689. He was instrumental in securing the city's support for the Glorious Revolution that brought William of Orange to the British throne.
In literature, the name gained prominence through the fictional character of Godfrey Kincaid, a recurring figure in the historical novels of Sir Walter Scott, such as "The Antiquary" and "The Abbot".
In the United States, the name Kincaid has been present since the 18th century, with many descendants of Scottish immigrants bearing the surname. One notable American Kincaid was Brigadier General John Kincaid (1816-1883), who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Jonesboro.
Throughout history, variations in spelling have included Kyncaith, Kyncade, Kincade, and Kincaide, reflecting the phonetic transcription and regional dialects of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kincaid
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kincaid 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 Kincaid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 14,331
- Black or African American8.4% · 1,447
- Two or more races4.0% · 691
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 605
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 135
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kincaid
Kincaid 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
#2,000
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,075
+242 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 6.13
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#2,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,274
-801 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 5.78
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,852 | 17,833 | 6.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,000 | 18,075 | 6.13 | +242 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #2,043 | 17,274 | 5.78 | -801 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 43 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 Kincaid 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 | #2,000 | #2,043 | -2.1% |
| Count | 18,075 | 17,274 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.13 | 5.78 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kincaid bearers went from 18,075 to 17,274 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,000 to #2,043.
FAQ
Kincaid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kincaid?
Name Census estimates that about 19,809 living Americans carry the surname Kincaid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,303 residents.
How common is Kincaid?
Kincaid ranks #2,043 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,274 people with the surname Kincaid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,809), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Kincaid.
Has Kincaid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kincaid went from 18,075 recorded bearers to 17,274. That is a decrease of 801 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,000 to #2,043.
What does the Census say about the background of Kincaid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kincaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Kincaid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (14,331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kincaid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (8.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Kincaid (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 Kincaid mean?
From the Gaelic "ceann cadha," meaning "head of the pass," likely referring to a gatekeeper or chief of a mountain pass. 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 Kincaid (5.78 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 last name Kincaid?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Kincaid on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.