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

Kirwin, 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 Kirwin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirwin in America

Kirwin is the 20099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirwin surname appeared 1,329 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 Kirwin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirwin 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 Kirwin

The surname Kirwin originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Ciardhubhain," which means "descendant of Ciar Dubhan," a personal name meaning "little dark one." The name was anglicized to Kirwin and Kerwin over time.

The earliest recorded instance of the Kirwin name can be traced back to the 14th century in County Galway, Ireland. The name was particularly prominent in the western counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo, where the family held substantial landholdings.

In the 16th century, the Kirwin family played a significant role in the Gaelic resistance against the English conquest of Ireland. Notable figures from this period include Edmond Kirwin, who was a leading member of the Irish Confederate Catholics during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many Kirwins were forced to leave Ireland due to the Penal Laws and the ongoing conflicts between the Irish and English. Some Kirwins settled in other parts of Europe, while others emigrated to the Americas and other British colonies.

One prominent Kirwin was Andrew Kirwan (1711-1778), an Irish scientist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of mineralogy and geology. He published several influential works, including "Elements of Mineralogy" (1784), which was one of the earliest comprehensive texts on the subject.

Another notable Kirwin was Richard Kirwan (1733-1812), an Irish chemist and philosopher who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1781. He made important contributions to the fields of chemistry and meteorology and published several works, including "An Essay on the Analytic of Mineral Substances" (1784) and "An Estimate of the Temperature of Different Latitudes" (1787).

In the 19th century, John Kirwin (1805-1886) was a prominent Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1866 to 1867. He was also a member of the Privy Council of Ireland and played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of the country.

The Kirwin name can also be found in various literary works, such as the novel "The Black Robe" (1831) by Irish writer Gerald Griffin, which features a character named Kirwin. Additionally, the American writer William Gilmore Simms (1806-1870) wrote a novel titled "The Partisan" (1835), which includes a character named Kirwin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirwin

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

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

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

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