2000
#11,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,603
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Kinsman
A surname referring to a relative or family member, often from the male side of the family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,681 Americans carry the last name Kinsman. That puts it at #12,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kinsman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kinsman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,846
Census rank
#12,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,338 bearers of the surname Kinsman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kinsman
The surname KINSMAN originated in England during the medieval period, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English words "cyn" meaning "kin" or "family" and "man" meaning "person." The name was originally given to individuals who were closely related to a prominent family or clan, serving as a trusted advisor or confidant.
One of the earliest known references to the name KINSMAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1379, which mentions a John Kynesman. These records were administrative documents used by the English Exchequer to keep track of financial transactions and land holdings.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1464, which records a land transaction involving a William Kynesman. The KINSMAN surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Essex, and Suffolk during this time period.
A notable figure bearing the KINSMAN name was Sir Thomas Kinsman (c. 1450 - 1515), a wealthy merchant from London who served as the Lord Mayor of the city in 1509. He played a significant role in funding the construction of the famous Hampton Court Palace for King Henry VIII.
Another prominent individual with this surname was John Kinsman (1566 - 1619), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1611 until his death.
In the 17th century, the KINSMAN name was found in various records, including the Parish Registers of Ipswich, Suffolk, which mentioned the baptism of a Robert Kinsman in 1642. Additionally, a Thomas Kinsman (1633 - 1705) was a notable English historian and antiquarian who wrote extensively about the history of Bath and the surrounding region.
During the 18th century, the KINSMAN surname continued to appear in historical records, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Essex. One notable figure from this era was William Kinsman (1720 - 1786), a successful merchant and landowner from Newington, Surrey.
In the 19th century, the KINSMAN name gained further prominence with individuals such as Samuel Kinsman (1788 - 1859), a British naval officer who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar and later served as the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station.
These examples demonstrate the long-standing presence of the KINSMAN surname in various parts of England, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, clergy, academics, and military personnel.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kinsman
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kinsman 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 Kinsman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 2,129
- Two or more races3.6% · 84
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kinsman
Kinsman 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
#9,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,521
+918 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 1,929 places
2020
#12,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,338
-1,183 bearers (-33.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 3,366 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,174 | 2,603 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,245 | 3,521 | 1.19 | +918 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 1,929 places |
| 2020 | #12,611 | 2,338 | 0.78 | -1,183 bearers (-33.6%) | Down 3,366 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 Kinsman 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 | #9,245 | #12,611 | -36.4% |
| Count | 3,521 | 2,338 | -33.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 0.78 | -34.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kinsman bearers went from 3,521 to 2,338 (-33.6% change). The surname moved down 3,366 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,245 to #12,611.
FAQ
Kinsman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kinsman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,681 living Americans carry the surname Kinsman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,846 residents.
How common is Kinsman?
Kinsman ranks #12,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,338 people with the surname Kinsman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,681), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kinsman.
Has Kinsman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kinsman went from 3,521 recorded bearers to 2,338. That is a decrease of 1,183 (-33.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,245 to #12,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Kinsman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kinsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kinsman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (2,129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kinsman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Kinsman (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 Kinsman mean?
A surname referring to a relative or family member, often from the male side of the family. 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 Kinsman (0.78 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 common is the surname Kinsman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Kinsman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.