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

Kipling, 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 Kipling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kipling in America

Kipling is the 57234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kipling surname appeared 356 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 Kipling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kipling 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 Kipling

The surname Kipling originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "cyp" meaning a mound or hillock, and "ling" meaning a heather-covered area. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a mound or hill covered in heather.

The earliest recorded instance of the Kipling name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Cipelin" in Yorkshire. Over time, variations such as Kipeling, Kippeling, and Kiplin emerged before the modern spelling of Kipling became standardized.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Kipling, a Member of Parliament for Ripon in 1325. In the 15th century, the Kipling family held lands in Westmorland and Yorkshire, with several members serving as sheriffs and justices of the peace.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Kipling surname was Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), the celebrated English novelist, poet, and short-story writer. He was born in Bombay, British India, and is best known for works such as "The Jungle Book," "Kim," and "If." Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907.

Other notable individuals with the Kipling surname include:

Thomas Kipling (1629-1696), an English clergyman and author. Benjamin Kipling (1663-1718), an English physician and writer. John Kipling (1837-1911), an English sculptor and art teacher. John Kipling (1892-1915), the son of Rudyard Kipling who was killed in World War I at the age of 18.

The name Kipling has been widely dispersed throughout England, with concentrations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the surrounding areas. It remains a relatively common surname in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kipling

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

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

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

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