2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kinerson
Irish surname transferred from a nickname for a person with some connection to shins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kinerson. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kinerson 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kinerson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.3%) and Hispanic (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kinerson
The surname Kinerson has its origins in the United Kingdom, and it is believed to have emerged in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cyne," meaning "royal" or "kingly," and the suffix "-son," which indicates a familial relationship. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a servant or retainer of a king or other royal figure.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms, such as Kynerson, Kinnerston, and Kinnerson, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in that era. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, where a Thomas Kinerson was recorded as having been baptized in 1632.
As the name spread across England, it became associated with certain regions and localities. For example, in the late 17th century, there were several Kinerson families living in the county of Oxfordshire, particularly in the village of Watlington. This connection to specific places led to the emergence of variations like Watlington-Kinerson, which reflected the family's association with that particular area.
One notable individual bearing the Kinerson surname was John Kinerson, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 17th century. Records indicate that he was a prominent figure in the city's trade and commerce, and he left a substantial estate upon his death in 1698.
Another significant figure was Robert Kinerson, a clergyman who served as the rector of St. Peter's Church in Nottingham during the early 18th century. Born in 1679, Kinerson was known for his scholarly writings and his contributions to the local community.
In the 19th century, the Kinerson name gained some renown through the achievements of William Kinerson, a successful industrialist and inventor from Manchester. Born in 1812, Kinerson is credited with developing several innovative textile machinery designs that helped revolutionize the industry.
Additionally, the name appeared in literature and historical accounts, such as the memoirs of Captain James Kinerson, a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later wrote about his experiences in the early 19th century.
While the origins and early history of the Kinerson surname are rooted in the United Kingdom, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and the diaspora of British families. However, its roots and connections to the regions and localities of its earliest recorded instances remain an integral part of its fascinating history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kinerson
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.3%) and Hispanic (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kinerson 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 Kinerson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.5% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native10.3% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 11
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kinerson
Kinerson 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
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 6,182 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 Kinerson 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 | #150,452 | #144,270 | 4.1% |
| Count | 109 | 117 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kinerson bearers went from 109 to 117 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 6,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kinerson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kinerson?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kinerson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kinerson?
Kinerson ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Kinerson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Kinerson.
Has Kinerson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kinerson went from 109 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kinerson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (10.3%) and Hispanic (9.4%). 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 Kinerson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kinerson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (10.3%), Hispanic (9.4%). 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 Kinerson (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 Kinerson mean?
Irish surname transferred from a nickname for a person with some connection to shins. 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 Kinerson (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 Kinerson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Kinerson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.