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

Kirton, 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 Kirton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirton in America

Kirton is the 16150th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirton surname appeared 1,791 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kirton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirton 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 Kirton

The surname Kirton is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "cirice" (church) and "tun" (enclosure or settlement), referring to a settlement or village near a church. This surname is believed to have emerged in the 11th or 12th century, during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known recorded instances of the name Kirton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Chirchetun" and "Chirchetone," indicating the presence of families or individuals residing near churches in different parts of the country.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Richard de Kirton, who lived in Lincolnshire, England, during the 13th century. He was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for that county in 1246. Another notable figure was John de Kirton, a 14th-century English clergyman who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1349 to 1350.

The surname Kirton is also associated with several place names in England, such as Kirton in Lincolnshire, Kirton in Suffolk, and Kirton in Nottinghamshire, among others. These place names likely influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in those respective regions.

One notable person with the surname Kirton was Sir John Kirton (1490-1548), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1541. Another prominent figure was John Kirton (1575-1637), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works, including "The Svppliant Savl" and "The Qvarters of the Gentiles."

In the 18th century, Thomas Kirton (1701-1785) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of precision timekeeping devices. Additionally, Ralph Kirton (1772-1851) was a British Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Chelmsford from 1832 to 1835.

The surname Kirton has also been associated with various professions and occupations throughout history, including clergymen, politicians, artisans, and tradesmen, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and roles of individuals bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirton

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

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

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

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