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

Kinlaw, 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 Kinlaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kinlaw in America

Kinlaw is the 13949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kinlaw surname appeared 2,164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kinlaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kinlaw 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 Kinlaw

The surname Kinlaw has its origins in Scotland, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "kin" meaning "head" and "lagh" meaning "hollow" or "valley", suggesting that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a settlement located in a valley or near a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage to King Edward I of England, where a person named William de Kynlawe is listed. This spelling variation "Kynlawe" provides insight into the possible pronunciation and evolution of the name over time.

In the 15th century, records show that the Kinlaw family held lands in the parish of Kilwinning, in Ayrshire, Scotland. This connection to a specific location further supports the theory that the name may have originated from a place name.

Notable individuals bearing the Kinlaw surname include:

1. John Kinlaw (c. 1550 - 1620), a Scottish clergyman and poet who served as the minister of Linlithgow.
2. Robert Kinlaw (1680 - 1745), a Scottish merchant and landowner who established trade routes between Scotland and the American colonies.
3. Elizabeth Kinlaw (1735 - 1810), a Scottish immigrant to America who became a prominent figure in the early settlement of North Carolina.
4. James Kinlaw (1810 - 1888), an American farmer and politician who served as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly.
5. William Kinlaw (1862 - 1931), a Scottish-born American artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the American West.

While the name Kinlaw may have evolved over time and spread to different regions, its Scottish origins and possible connection to a place name remain a significant part of its history and etymology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kinlaw

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

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 Kinlaw 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 Kinlaw 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 Kinlaw was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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