2000
#6,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,741
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Kingery
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of ale mugs or liquid measures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,220 Americans carry the last name Kingery. That puts it at #7,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 65,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kingery 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
5.2K
1 in 65,662
Census rank
#7,085
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,552 bearers of the surname Kingery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kingery
The surname KINGERY has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "cyning" and "gerry," which translate to "king" and "spear" or "warrior," respectively. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were warriors or soldiers in service of a king.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name KINGERY can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where it appears as "Kyngeri." This spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
During the 14th century, the KINGERY surname appears in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1332, where it is spelled "Kyngerie." This document recorded financial transactions and taxes paid to the Crown, indicating that individuals with this surname were likely landowners or held positions of some significance.
In the 15th century, the KINGERY name can be found in the Court Rolls of Wiltshire from 1418, where it appears as "Kyngery." These records document legal proceedings and disputes, suggesting that the KINGERY family may have been involved in legal matters during this period.
One notable individual bearing the KINGERY surname was Sir John Kingery (1450-1522), a member of the English gentry and a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester in 1491 and was knighted by King Henry VII for his service to the Crown.
Another prominent figure was William Kingery (1567-1642), an English clergyman and author. He was the Rector of Chedsey in Somerset and published several theological works, including "A Treatise on the Sacraments" in 1621.
In the 17th century, the KINGERY surname appears in parish records from various counties in England, including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This suggests that the name was well-established across different regions of the country.
One notable individual from this period was Robert Kingery (1630-1692), a merchant and ship owner from Bristol. He was involved in the lucrative transatlantic trade and is recorded as having owned several ships that traveled between England and the American colonies.
As the British Empire expanded, the KINGERY surname eventually made its way to other parts of the world. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with this surname in the British colonies of North America and the Caribbean.
One example is John Kingery (1745-1823), a soldier in the American Revolutionary War who fought in the Continental Army. He later settled in Virginia and became a successful farmer and landowner.
Throughout its history, the KINGERY surname has been associated with various professions and social classes, from landowners and gentry to clergy, merchants, and soldiers. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals who contributed to the history and development of various regions and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kingery
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kingery 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 Kingery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 4,190
- Two or more races3.7% · 168
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kingery
Kingery 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
#6,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,952
+211 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#7,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,552
-400 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,592 | 4,741 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,811 | 4,952 | 1.68 | +211 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #7,085 | 4,552 | 1.52 | -400 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 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 Kingery 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 | #6,811 | #7,085 | -4.0% |
| Count | 4,952 | 4,552 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.52 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kingery bearers went from 4,952 to 4,552 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 274 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,811 to #7,085.
FAQ
Kingery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kingery?
Name Census estimates that about 5,220 living Americans carry the surname Kingery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 65,662 residents.
How common is Kingery?
Kingery ranks #7,085 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.52 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 4,552 people with the surname Kingery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,220), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.52 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 Kingery.
Has Kingery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kingery went from 4,952 recorded bearers to 4,552. That is a decrease of 400 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,811 to #7,085.
What does the Census say about the background of Kingery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingery, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Kingery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kingery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Kingery (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 Kingery mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of ale mugs or liquid measures. 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 Kingery (1.52 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 Kingery?
Want to know how many people have the surname Kingery? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.