2000
#8,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,585
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Kindle
An occupational surname for a person who starts fires or lights lamps.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,215 Americans carry the last name Kindle. That puts it at #8,583 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kindle 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 Kindle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,318
Census rank
#8,583
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,676 bearers of the surname Kindle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8583rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kindle
The surname Kindle originated in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cyndel," which means "kindling" or "firebrand." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who worked with fire or kindling, such as a blacksmith or a charcoal burner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kindle can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Walter Kyndel is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Kyndel."
In the 14th century, the name was recorded in various spellings, including "Kyndel," "Kyndill," and "Kyndyll." These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
During the medieval period, the Kindle family was most prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset. Some of the earliest recorded place names associated with the surname include Kyndelton (now Kington) in Worcestershire and Kyndlesham (now Kinsham) in Gloucestershire.
One notable figure with the surname Kindle was John Kindle (c. 1490-1555), a merchant and alderman from Bristol, England. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1530 and was a prominent figure in the city's trade and governance.
Another individual of historical importance was Sir William Kindle (c. 1525-1597), a English soldier and Member of Parliament. He served in the English army during the Anglo-Scottish Wars and was knighted for his service in 1588.
In the 17th century, the Kindle family spread across England, with some members migrating to the American colonies. One such individual was Thomas Kindle (c. 1620-1695), who settled in Virginia and became a successful tobacco planter.
Other notable individuals with the surname Kindle include:
1. Robert Kindle (1775-1835), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
2. Elizabeth Kindle (1810-1892), a philanthropist and social reformer from London, known for her work in improving conditions for the poor.
3. James Kindle (1845-1912), an American geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil fuels.
4. William Kindle (1870-1944), a Canadian geologist and paleontologist, renowned for his research on the geology of the Canadian Arctic.
5. Arthur Kindle (1885-1962), a British artist and illustrator, known for his book illustrations and landscapes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kindle
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kindle 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 Kindle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.8% · 2,344
- Black or African American23.7% · 873
- Two or more races5.3% · 193
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 136
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kindle
Kindle 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
#8,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,109
+524 bearers (+14.6%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 400 places
2020
#8,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,676
-433 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 518 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,465 | 3,585 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,065 | 4,109 | 1.39 | +524 bearers (+14.6%) | Up 400 places |
| 2020 | #8,583 | 3,676 | 1.23 | -433 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 518 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 Kindle 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 | #8,065 | #8,583 | -6.4% |
| Count | 4,109 | 3,676 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.23 | -11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kindle bearers went from 4,109 to 3,676 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 518 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,065 to #8,583.
FAQ
Kindle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kindle?
Name Census estimates that about 4,215 living Americans carry the surname Kindle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,318 residents.
How common is Kindle?
Kindle ranks #8,583 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,676 people with the surname Kindle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,215), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Kindle.
Has Kindle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kindle went from 4,109 recorded bearers to 3,676. That is a decrease of 433 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,065 to #8,583.
What does the Census say about the background of Kindle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (23.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Kindle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.8% (2,344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kindle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.8%), Black (23.7%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Kindle (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 Kindle mean?
An occupational surname for a person who starts fires or lights lamps. 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 Kindle (1.23 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 are called Kindle?
See how common the surname Kindle is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.