2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kinimaka
A Hawaiian surname potentially relating to a person from the kini or chinamini (mullet fish) region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Kinimaka. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kinimaka 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Kinimaka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinimaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.5%) and White (13.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kinimaka
The surname KINIMAKA has its origins in the Hawaiian Islands, and can be traced back to the early 19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Hawaiian words "kini," meaning "to twist" or "to braid," and "maka," meaning "eye" or "face." Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone with distinctive facial features or someone skilled in the art of weaving or braiding.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KINIMAKA can be found in the accounts of Christian missionaries who arrived in Hawaii in the early 1800s. These accounts mention a family with the surname KINIMAKA residing in the village of Lahaina on the island of Maui.
The name KINIMAKA gained further prominence in the late 19th century when a man named Keoni KINIMAKA (1845-1920) became a respected leader in the Hawaiian community. He was known for his advocacy of native Hawaiian rights and his efforts to preserve traditional Hawaiian culture and language.
Another notable figure with the surname KINIMAKA was Mele KINIMAKA (1860-1935), a renowned hula dancer and chanter. She was widely regarded as a keeper of ancient Hawaiian hula traditions and played a significant role in passing on these traditions to future generations.
In the early 20th century, the name KINIMAKA appeared in various historical records and documents related to land ownership and legal proceedings in Hawaii. One such document from 1912 mentions a dispute over land ownership involving a family named KINIMAKA on the island of Kauai.
The surname KINIMAKA has also been associated with several place names in Hawaii. For instance, there is a small bay on the island of Maui known as Kinimaka Bay, which may have been named after an early settler or landowner with the KINIMAKA surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname KINIMAKA include Kekoa KINIMAKA (1885-1960), a respected Hawaiian musician and composer, and Leilani KINIMAKA (1920-2005), a prominent educator and advocate for Hawaiian language and culture.
Throughout its history, the surname KINIMAKA has maintained a strong connection to the Hawaiian Islands and its rich cultural heritage. While the name may have evolved in spelling or pronunciation over time, its roots remain firmly grounded in the Hawaiian language and the unique traditions of the indigenous Hawaiian people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kinimaka
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinimaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.5%) and White (13.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kinimaka 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 Kinimaka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander45.0% · 49
- Two or more races27.5% · 30
- White13.8% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino11.9% · 13
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kinimaka
Kinimaka 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,393 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,056 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,393 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,056 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 Kinimaka 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 | #143,149 | #150,205 | -4.9% |
| Count | 116 | 109 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kinimaka bearers went from 116 to 109 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,056 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,205.
FAQ
Kinimaka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kinimaka?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Kinimaka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Kinimaka?
Kinimaka ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Kinimaka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Kinimaka.
Has Kinimaka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kinimaka went from 116 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Kinimaka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinimaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (27.5%) and White (13.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kinimaka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.0% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kinimaka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (45.0%), Two or More Races (27.5%), White (13.8%). 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 Kinimaka (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 Kinimaka mean?
A Hawaiian surname potentially relating to a person from the kini or chinamini (mullet fish) region. 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 Kinimaka (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 many people are called Kinimaka?
You can see how many people have the last name Kinimaka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.