2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kirkelie
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Kirkelie.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Kirkelie. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirkelie 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Kirkelie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkelie, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirkelie
The surname Kirkelie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Norse words "kirkju" meaning "church" and "hly" meaning "shelter" or "protection." This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a church or sought refuge there.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkelie is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls made during the reign of King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled "Kyrkely." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages.
The Kirkelie name is also associated with the village of Kirklie, located in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is possible that some individuals with this surname may have originated from this area or held land there.
In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Kirkelie was Sir John Kirkelie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Another historical figure bearing the Kirkelie name was Margaret Kirkelie, who lived in the 16th century. She was a landowner and is mentioned in several legal records from the time regarding property disputes.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Kirkelie family was Rev. James Kirkelie, a Presbyterian minister who served in the parish of Kilwinning, Ayrshire. He was known for his sermons and writings on religious topics.
During the 18th century, the Kirkelie surname appeared in various parish records and legal documents throughout Scotland, indicating the continued presence of this family.
One notable individual from this period was Robert Kirkelie, a merchant and ship owner from Glasgow, who was born in 1745 and died in 1812. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and played a role in the city's thriving maritime industry.
Another significant figure with the Kirkelie surname was Elizabeth Kirkelie, born in 1792. She was a renowned poet and writer whose works were published in various literary journals of the time.
While the Kirkelie surname may not be as common today, its origins and history are deeply rooted in Scotland's past, with references spanning several centuries and various notable individuals who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirkelie
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkelie, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirkelie 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 Kirkelie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 111
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirkelie
Kirkelie 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,437 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Kirkelie 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirkelie bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Kirkelie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirkelie?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Kirkelie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Kirkelie?
Kirkelie ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Kirkelie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kirkelie.
Has Kirkelie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirkelie went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirkelie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkelie, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Kirkelie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirkelie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Kirkelie (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 Kirkelie mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place called Kirkelie. 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 Kirkelie (0.04 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 many people have the surname Kirkelie?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.