2000
#7,794
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Kirkham
A locational surname denoting someone from any of the places named Kirkham in Lancashire or North Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,543 Americans carry the last name Kirkham. That puts it at #8,022 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,447 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kirkham 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 Kirkham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 75,447
Census rank
#8,022
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,962 bearers of the surname Kirkham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8022nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kirkham
The surname Kirkham has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Kirkham, which means "church village" or "church homestead" in Old English. The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where there are several places called Kirkham.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it is spelled "Kircham." The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions the village of Kirkham, which was then known as "Childreuualle."
In the 13th century, the name Kirkham was associated with a prominent family in Lancashire. Sir Walter de Kirkham was a knight who lived during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272). His son, Sir Richard de Kirkham, was also a knight and served under King Edward I (1272-1307).
Another notable bearer of the name was William Kirkham (c. 1480-1572), an English translator and clergyman who was active during the Tudor period. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into English.
During the 17th century, the Kirkham family established themselves in the village of Kirkham in Lancashire. One member of this family, Thomas Kirkham (1604-1670), was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Kirkham.
In the 18th century, the name Kirkham was associated with the philosophical and educational writings of Samuel Kirkham (1743-1805). He was an English grammarian and author of several influential textbooks on English grammar.
Another notable bearer of the name was John Kirkham (1770-1857), an English artist and engraver who was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
As the name Kirkham originated from a specific location in Lancashire, it is likely that many early bearers of the name were from that region. However, over time, the name spread to other parts of England and beyond, as people migrated and established new homes in different areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kirkham
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kirkham 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 Kirkham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 3,553
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 137
- Two or more races3.1% · 122
- Black or African American2.2% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kirkham
Kirkham 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
#8,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,121
+188 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 238 places
2020
#8,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,962
-159 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,794 | 3,933 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,032 | 4,121 | 1.40 | +188 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 238 places |
| 2020 | #8,022 | 3,962 | 1.33 | -159 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 10 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 Kirkham 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 | #8,032 | #8,022 | 0.1% |
| Count | 4,121 | 3,962 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.33 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kirkham bearers went from 4,121 to 3,962 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,032 to #8,022.
FAQ
Kirkham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kirkham?
Name Census estimates that about 4,543 living Americans carry the surname Kirkham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,447 residents.
How common is Kirkham?
Kirkham ranks #8,022 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,962 people with the surname Kirkham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,543), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Kirkham.
Has Kirkham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kirkham went from 4,121 recorded bearers to 3,962. That is a decrease of 159 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,032 to #8,022.
What does the Census say about the background of Kirkham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kirkham, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Kirkham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (3,553 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kirkham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Kirkham (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 Kirkham mean?
A locational surname denoting someone from any of the places named Kirkham in Lancashire or North Yorkshire, England. 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 Kirkham (1.33 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 last name Kirkham?
Find out how many people have the last name Kirkham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.