2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kinchion
A surname derived from an Irish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Kinchion. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kinchion 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Kinchion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinchion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kinchion
The surname Kinchion is believed to have originated in Ireland, dating back to the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Cinnsheanaigh," which translates to "descendant of the venerable one." The name is linked to various areas in County Leitrim, Ireland, particularly the town of Kinlough.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kinchion can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1246, a reference is made to a "Maolmuire O'Cinnsheanaigh," suggesting the name's existence during that time period.
In the 16th century, the Kinchion family held lands in County Leitrim, as evidenced by the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the reign of the Tudor monarchs in England and Ireland. A notable figure from this era was Fergus Kinchion, born around 1530, who was a prominent landowner in the region.
The name Kinchion has also appeared in various forms over the centuries, such as Kinshenagh, Kinshinagh, and Kinshinny. These variations likely stemmed from the phonetic spelling of the original Gaelic name, as well as regional dialects and local pronunciations.
One of the most well-known individuals with the surname Kinchion was Patrick Kinchion, born in 1752 in County Leitrim. He was a renowned Irish rebel and member of the Society of United Irishmen, who fought against British rule in the late 18th century. Patrick Kinchion played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and was eventually captured and executed for his involvement.
Another notable figure was Michael Kinchion, born in 1820 in County Leitrim. He was a prominent Catholic priest and historian who authored several works on Irish history and culture, including "The History of County Leitrim" and "The Annals of Lough Key."
In the early 20th century, the name Kinchion gained recognition through the literary works of Kathleen Kinchion, born in 1892 in County Leitrim. She was a celebrated poet and writer, known for her works that explored Irish folklore and tradition.
Lastly, John Kinchion, born in 1935 in County Leitrim, was a respected Irish politician and member of the Fianna Fáil party. He served as a member of the Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament) for several terms, representing the constituency of Sligo-Leitrim.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kinchion
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinchion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kinchion 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 Kinchion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.7% · 92
- Two or more races11.4% · 13
- White4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kinchion
Kinchion appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 7,274 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 Kinchion 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 | #153,769 | #146,495 | 4.7% |
| Count | 106 | 114 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kinchion bearers went from 106 to 114 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 7,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #146,495.
FAQ
Kinchion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kinchion?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Kinchion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Kinchion?
Kinchion ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Kinchion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kinchion.
Has Kinchion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kinchion went from 106 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Kinchion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinchion, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (4.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kinchion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kinchion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.7%), Two or More Races (11.4%), White (4.4%). 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 Kinchion (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 Kinchion mean?
A surname derived from an Irish place name. 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 Kinchion (0.04 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 Kinchion?
Want to know how common the surname Kinchion is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.