Find out how popular the last name King is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named King.

King, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the King surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of King in America

King is the 34th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The King surname appeared 465,422 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 158 people would have the surname King.

We can also compare 2010 data for King to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name King

The surname KING is an English occupational name derived from the Old English word 'cyning', meaning a sovereign ruler or monarch. The name originated in England, with records dating back to the 11th century.

The KING surname is believed to have first emerged as a descriptive name for someone who held a position of authority or leadership within a community, such as a local lord or landowner. It may have also been used to refer to someone who acted or carried themselves in a regal or commanding manner.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KING surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as 'Kinge' and is found in various counties across the country.

During the Middle Ages, the KING surname began to spread throughout England, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Kinge, Kyng, and Kynge. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.

Notable historical figures with the surname KING include William King (1663-1712), an English poet and advocate of the Church of England; Edward King (1612-1637), an English poet and author of the elegy "Lycidas" written in memory of John Milton; and John King (1559-1621), an English bishop and scholar who served as the Bishop of London.

Other prominent individuals with the KING surname include Peter King (1669-1734), an English lawyer and philosopher; William Rufus King (1786-1853), an American politician who served as the 13th Vice President of the United States; and Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), the renowned American civil rights activist and leader of the African-American civil rights movement.

Throughout history, the KING surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Kingsdown in Kent, Kingswood in Gloucestershire, and Kingsley in Cheshire, among others. These place names likely derived from the presence of individuals with the KING surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name King

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname King.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for King was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of King has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name King was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of King, please contact us.

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