2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kisiah
Of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Persian personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Kisiah. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kisiah 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Kisiah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisiah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kisiah
The surname KISIAH originates from the Middle Eastern region, and its roots can be traced back to the Arabic language. The name is believed to have emerged around the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic expansion across the Arabian Peninsula and the neighboring territories.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name KISIAH can be found in ancient Arabic manuscripts, where it was often used as a nickname or a descriptive term for individuals who possessed certain physical or character traits. The word "kisiah" in Arabic translates to "one who wears a cloak" or "one who is cloaked," suggesting that the name may have initially been associated with a profession or a particular attire worn by its bearers.
As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the name KISIAH began to spread across various regions, including parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and even into the Iberian Peninsula. During this period, variations of the name, such as "Qisiah" and "Kisiyah," also emerged, reflecting the different dialects and linguistic influences of the areas where it was adopted.
In the 11th century, the name KISIAH gained prominence with the birth of Al-Qadi Al-Kisiah, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). Born in 1022 AD in Cordoba, Al-Qadi Al-Kisiah made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of the Maliki school of Islamic law.
Another notable figure bearing the surname KISIAH was Abu Bakr al-Kisiah, a prominent Muslim scholar and theologian who lived in the 9th century AD. Born in Basra (modern-day Iraq), he was known for his expertise in the Quran and hadith (the sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), and his works were widely studied and referenced by Islamic scholars of his time.
In the 13th century, the name KISIAH was also associated with Ibn al-Kisiah, a renowned Arab traveler and explorer from the city of Marrakesh (present-day Morocco). His detailed accounts of his journeys across North Africa and the Middle East provided valuable insights into the geography, culture, and customs of the regions he visited, and his writings were widely circulated among scholars and intellectuals of the time.
As the centuries passed, the KISIAH surname continued to be carried by individuals from various parts of the Middle East and North Africa, with some bearers of the name migrating to other regions of the world, contributing to the further dissemination and diversification of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kisiah
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisiah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kisiah 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 Kisiah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kisiah
Kisiah 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,884 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,884 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Kisiah 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kisiah bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Kisiah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kisiah?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Kisiah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Kisiah?
Kisiah ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Kisiah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Kisiah.
Has Kisiah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kisiah went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Kisiah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisiah, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Kisiah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kisiah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Kisiah (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 Kisiah mean?
Of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a Persian personal name. 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 Kisiah (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 are called Kisiah?
Want to know how common the surname Kisiah is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.