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

Kioko, 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 Kioko surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kioko in America

Kioko is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kioko surname appeared 112 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 Kioko.

The history of the last name Kioko

The surname Kioko originates from Kenya, East Africa, where it has been recorded since the 16th century. It is believed to derive from the Kikuyu language, with "Ki" meaning "place of" and "oko" referring to a specific geographic location or settlement. This suggests the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kioko can be found in a 17th-century Swahili document detailing trade routes along the Kenyan coast. The document mentions a trader named Mwangi Kioko, indicating the surname was already in use at that time.

In the late 18th century, a Kikuyu chief named Waiyaki wa Kioko is mentioned in oral histories as leading his people in battles against British colonizers. His name suggests a connection to the Kioko surname, though the exact relationship is unclear.

The first known written record of the Kioko surname dates back to 1892, when a Christian missionary named James Kioko is listed as working in the Kiambu region of Kenya. This suggests the name had already been adopted by some individuals by the late 19th century.

Another notable figure with the Kioko surname was Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Born in Nyeri, Kenya, she was an environmental and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement.

In the early 20th century, a Kenyan politician and lawyer named Charles Njonjo Kioko (1920-2008) played a significant role in the country's independence movement and later served as the Attorney General of Kenya.

More recently, Kenyan author and academic Ngugi wa Thiong'o (born 1938) has used the pen name Ngugi wa Kioko in some of his literary works, perhaps as a nod to his ancestral roots.

While the Kioko surname is most prevalent in Kenya, it has also been recorded among individuals of Kenyan descent living in other parts of East Africa, as well as in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries with significant Kenyan diaspora populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kioko

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

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 Kioko 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.

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

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

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