Kipp
Derived from a German nickname for a lively person, from the Middle High German word "kippe," meaning "lively."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,958 Americans carry the last name Kipp. That puts it at #5,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 49,260 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kipp surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 49,260
Census rank
#5,788
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,978 bearers of the surname Kipp in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kipp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kipp
The surname Kipp originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Hesse. It first appeared in records dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "kippe," which means "summit" or "peak," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a hilltop or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kipp surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, where a certain "Henricus Kipp" was mentioned in a record from 1284.
In the 14th century, the Kipp surname appeared in various spellings, such as Kypp, Kippe, and Kype, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and orthography at the time.
During the late Middle Ages, the Kipp family established themselves as landowners and prominent citizens in several towns and villages across Hesse and neighboring regions. Notable figures included Johannes Kipp (1452-1517), a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Erfurt.
As the name spread across Germany and beyond, it gained recognition in other parts of Europe. One of the earliest records from outside Germany dates back to 1621, when a certain Pieter Kipp was mentioned in a Dutch census record from the city of Amsterdam.
In the 18th century, the Kipp surname gained prominence in the United States, as German immigrants began settling in various parts of the country. Johann Kipp (1735-1811), a Hessian soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War, is considered one of the earliest bearers of the name in America.
Other notable individuals with the Kipp surname include:
1. Heinrich Kipp (1819-1884), a German-American engineer and inventor who developed the Kipp apparatus, a device used for generating gases in the laboratory.
2. Maria Kipp (1859-1943), a German-American philanthropist and co-founder of the Milwaukee Downer College, one of the first institutions of higher education for women in the United States.
3. Frédéric Kipp (1863-1949), a French painter and engraver known for his landscape and genre scenes.
4. Gerry Kipp (1903-1982), an American professional baseball player who played for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves in the 1920s and 1930s.
5. Kathleen Kipp (born 1958), an American politician and former member of the Montana House of Representatives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kipp
Among Census respondents with the surname Kipp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kipp bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Kipp surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7%
- Hispanic or Latino2.6%
- Two or more races1.5%
- Black or African American1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Kipp surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,359 | #5,788 | -8.0% |
| Count | 5,978 | 5,978 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.22 | 2.03 | -8.6% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Kipp bearers went from 5,978 to 5,978 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 429 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,359 to #5,788.
FAQ
Kipp surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Kipp?
The surname Kipp holds position #5,788 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 6,958 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.03 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Kipp surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kipp, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.