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

Kinn, 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 Kinn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kinn in America

Kinn is the 25136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kinn surname appeared 987 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kinn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kinn 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 Kinn

The surname Kinn is of Old Norse origin, deriving from the word "kinn" which means "cheek" or "jaw". It is believed to have originated in Norway and was initially used as a nickname for someone with a prominent or distinctive jawline.

In the early medieval period, the name appeared in various Norse sagas and chronicles, often referring to notable individuals with this physical trait. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Landnámabók, a medieval Icelandic manuscript detailing the settlement of Iceland, where a man named Kinn Arnorsson is mentioned.

As the name spread across Scandinavia, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Kinnr or Kinnari. In the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there is a record of a landowner named Kinnard, which is likely a variant of the same surname.

During the Viking Age, the name was carried by Norse settlers and traders to various regions, including Iceland, Scotland, and parts of England. One notable bearer of the name was Kinn Þorsteinsson, an Icelandic chieftain and lawspeaker who lived in the 11th century.

In Scotland, the surname Kinn can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was often associated with the region of Caithness, an area with strong Norse influence. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Sweyn Kinn, a landholder in Caithness mentioned in a charter from around 1150.

Another prominent figure bearing the name was Sir William Kinn, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was granted lands in Perthshire for his loyalty and bravery.

As the name spread across Europe, it adopted various spellings and forms, such as Kinn, Kinne, Kinn-Hansen, and Kinnan. Notable individuals with this surname include Jens Kinn, a Norwegian poet and playwright born in 1816, and Helga Kinn, a Norwegian feminist and suffragette active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Despite its Scandinavian roots, the surname Kinn has been found in various parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchange. It remains a relatively uncommon surname, but its rich history and etymology reflect the influence of Norse culture and language on naming traditions across Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kinn

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

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

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

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