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

Kinnison, 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 Kinnison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kinnison in America

Kinnison is the 15748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kinnison surname appeared 1,851 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 Kinnison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kinnison 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 Kinnison

The surname Kinnison has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "cineadh," which means "kindred" or "tribe." The name was likely used to identify individuals who belonged to a particular clan or family group.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kinnison can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1296, where a certain William Kinnison is listed as a landowner in the county of Ayrshire. This historical document provides evidence of the name's existence and its connection to land ownership during that period.

In the 16th century, the name Kinnison appeared in various spellings, such as Kinnisone, Kinnissoun, and Kynnyson, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common in those times. The name was also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Kinnison Farm in Aberdeenshire and Kinnison Hill in Renfrewshire.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Kinnison was Sir Robert Kinnison (c. 1530-1598), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as a member of the Privy Council of Scotland under King James VI. He played a significant role in the turbulent political and religious affairs of the time.

Another notable Kinnison was John Kinnison (1680-1745), a Scottish philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Edinburgh. He made contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics and was known for his work on the philosophy of mind.

In the 18th century, the name Kinnison gained recognition through the exploits of Captain William Kinnison (1725-1789), a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. He was renowned for his bravery and tactical skills in various naval battles.

Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the achievements of Margaret Kinnison (1810-1890), a Scottish philanthropist and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for better education and healthcare facilities in her hometown of Glasgow.

Lastly, in more recent times, the name Kinnison was brought to prominence by the science fiction author E.E. "Doc" Smith (1890-1965), who created the popular character "Kimball Kinnison" in his Lensman series of novels. While Kimball Kinnison was a fictional character, the name Kinnison gained recognition among science fiction enthusiasts worldwide.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kinnison

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

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

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

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