2000
#6,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,592
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Rare Last name
Kindred
Related by similar qualities or character, as if belonging to the same family or group.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,158 Americans carry the last name Kindred. That puts it at #7,162 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,451 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kindred 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 Kindred with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,451
Census rank
#7,162
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,498 bearers of the surname Kindred in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7162nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindred, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kindred
The surname Kindred originates from England and is derived from the Old English word "kyndred," which means "kinship" or "family." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive name, referring to a person's close family ties or their status within a particular clan or community.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kindred can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated around 1273, there is a reference to a person named Willelmus Kyndred. This is one of the earliest known occurrences of the name in historical records.
During the medieval period, the name Kindred was particularly prevalent in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Dorset in southwest England. It is possible that the name originated in this region and later spread to other parts of the country.
In the 16th century, the surname Kindred appeared in various spellings, such as Kyndred, Kyndrede, and Kyndrede. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling practices during that time period.
One notable early bearer of the surname Kindred was Robert Kindred, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London during the late 16th century. Another individual of note was William Kindred, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Sampford Arundel in Somerset during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Kindred surname was found in various parts of England, with concentrations in the counties of Devon, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this period was John Kindred (1720-1784), a successful merchant and businessman from Bristol.
In the 19th century, the surname Kindred continued to be present in various regions of England. One prominent individual was William Kindred (1837-1919), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England.
Another notable bearer of the surname Kindred was Robert Kindred (1892-1957), a British actor and theater producer who was active in the early 20th century. He is particularly known for his work in Shakespearean productions and his contributions to the development of modern theater in England.
While the surname Kindred has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, as a result of migration and settlement patterns. However, the historical origins and meaning of the name can be traced back to its Old English origins and its connection to family ties and kinship.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kindred
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindred, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kindred 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 Kindred surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.8% · 2,870
- Black or African American27.2% · 1,222
- Two or more races4.3% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kindred
Kindred 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
#7,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,763
+171 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 261 places
2020
#7,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,498
-265 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,765 | 4,592 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,026 | 4,763 | 1.61 | +171 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 261 places |
| 2020 | #7,162 | 4,498 | 1.50 | -265 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 136 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 Kindred 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 | #7,026 | #7,162 | -1.9% |
| Count | 4,763 | 4,498 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.50 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kindred bearers went from 4,763 to 4,498 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,026 to #7,162.
FAQ
Kindred surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kindred?
Name Census estimates that about 5,158 living Americans carry the surname Kindred. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,451 residents.
How common is Kindred?
Kindred ranks #7,162 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,498 people with the surname Kindred. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kindred.
Has Kindred become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kindred went from 4,763 recorded bearers to 4,498. That is a decrease of 265 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,026 to #7,162.
What does the Census say about the background of Kindred?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kindred, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.8%. The next largest groups are Black (27.2%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Kindred in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.8% (2,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kindred appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.8%), Black (27.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Kindred (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 Kindred mean?
Related by similar qualities or character, as if belonging to the same family or group. 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 Kindred (1.50 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 Kindred?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Kindred, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.