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

Kinley, 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 Kinley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kinley in America

Kinley is the 8073rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kinley surname appeared 4,105 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 Kinley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kinley 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 Kinley

The surname Kinley is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cyn" meaning "royal" or "noble" and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a meadow or clearing owned by a noble or member of royalty.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a William de Kynlay is mentioned. The spelling "Kynlay" suggests the name was originally pronounced with a long "a" sound.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Kineleye, Kynley, and Kynlay in records from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This indicates the name was present in different regions of England during this period.

The Kinley surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England. This suggests the name has its origins in the 11th century or earlier.

Notable historical figures with the Kinley surname include:

1. Sir John Kinley (c.1470-1536), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.

2. Thomas Kinley (c.1550-1620), an English clergyman and author of theological works.

3. William Kinley (1628-1696), an English Puritan minister and author of religious texts.

4. Robert Kinley (1718-1789), a Scottish merchant and landowner who made significant contributions to the development of Glasgow.

5. Jane Kinley (1810-1892), an English artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits.

The name Kinley is also associated with various place names in England, such as Kinley Green in Buckinghamshire and Kinley Wood in Oxfordshire, further cementing its historical roots in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kinley

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

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

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

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