2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kisin
Meaning "happy" or "joyful" derived from the Turkish term "kisin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Kisin. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kisin 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Kisin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kisin
The surname KISIN is believed to have originated in Russia during the 16th century. It is derived from the Russian word "kisyn," which means "a cat." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had a resemblance to a cat or possibly worked with cats.
In the early 17th century, the name KISIN was recorded in the Tver region of Russia. It is believed that the name first appeared in written records in the town of Kashin, located in the Tver Oblast. This area was known for its monasteries and religious institutions, which may have played a role in the naming conventions of the time.
One of the earliest known references to the name KISIN can be found in a manuscript dated 1625, which details the activities of a merchant named Ivan Kisin. This document provides valuable insight into the lives of traders and merchants during that era.
In the 18th century, the KISIN surname gained prominence with the birth of Fyodor Kisin (1707-1782), a renowned Russian architect who designed several notable buildings in St. Petersburg. His son, Andrei Kisin (1737-1805), also became an architect and contributed to the city's architectural landscape.
Another notable figure with the KISIN surname was Aleksandra Kisina (1834-1910), a Russian writer and poet who was known for her romantic poetry and advocacy for women's rights. Her works were widely published and celebrated during her lifetime.
During the 19th century, the KISIN name became associated with the village of Kisinovo, located in the Kaluga region of Russia. This village may have been named after an early settler with the KISIN surname, further solidifying the name's connection to the area.
In the 20th century, the KISIN surname gained international recognition with the birth of Evgeny Kisin (1971-), a world-renowned Russian pianist and classical music performer. Born in Moscow, Kisin has received numerous accolades and awards for his exceptional musical talents.
Throughout its history, the surname KISIN has been recorded with various spellings, including Kissin, Kisina, and Kisyn. These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and its adaptation to different regions and linguistic influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kisin
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kisin 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 Kisin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kisin
Kisin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Up 5,104 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 Kisin 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 | #153,769 | #148,665 | 3.3% |
| Count | 106 | 111 | 4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kisin bearers went from 106 to 111 (+4.7% change). The surname moved up 5,104 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #148,665.
FAQ
Kisin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kisin?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Kisin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Kisin?
Kisin ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Kisin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Kisin.
Has Kisin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kisin went from 106 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 5 (+4.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Kisin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kisin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Kisin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kisin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%), Black (0.9%). 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 Kisin (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 Kisin mean?
Meaning "happy" or "joyful" derived from the Turkish term "kisin". 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 Kisin (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 Kisin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.