2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kiskadden
A Scottish surname probably derived from a place name related to the Gaelic words "cos" (foot) and "cadden" (pass, path, or defile).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Kiskadden. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kiskadden 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Kiskadden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiskadden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kiskadden
The surname Kiskadden is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "cis" meaning "tax" or "tribute," and "cadden" meaning "battle" or "combat." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who fought for the payment of taxes or tributes, perhaps a tax collector or soldier.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Scottish Privy Council Records from 1587, where a John Kiskadden is mentioned as being involved in a land dispute. Another early reference is from the Presbytery Records of Lanark in 1638, which mention a James Kiskadden.
In the 17th century, the name appears to have been concentrated in the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. Some variations in spelling include Kiscadden, Kiskcadden, and Kiskedden.
Notable individuals with the surname Kiskadden throughout history include:
1. Robert Kiskadden (1720-1789), a Scottish immigrant to America who fought in the French and Indian War and later settled in Pennsylvania.
2. William Kiskadden (1786-1852), an Irish-born American industrialist who established the Kiskadden Foundry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the earliest ironworks in the region.
3. James Kiskadden (1823-1901), a Scottish-born Australian miner and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the gold mining industry in Victoria, Australia.
4. Mary Kiskadden (1856-1934), an American educator and suffragist who fought for women's voting rights and was actively involved in the women's suffrage movement in California.
5. John Kiskadden (1879-1945), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan and was instrumental in the establishment of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
While the name Kiskadden is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of history, with its origins rooted in the Scottish highlands and its bearers leaving their mark in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kiskadden
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiskadden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kiskadden 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 Kiskadden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 106
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kiskadden
Kiskadden 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+17 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,437 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-19 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,067 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 6,437 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 18,067 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 Kiskadden 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 | #131,379 | #149,446 | -13.8% |
| Count | 129 | 110 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kiskadden bearers went from 129 to 110 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 18,067 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #149,446.
FAQ
Kiskadden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kiskadden?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Kiskadden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Kiskadden?
Kiskadden ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Kiskadden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Kiskadden.
Has Kiskadden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kiskadden went from 129 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Kiskadden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kiskadden, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Kiskadden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kiskadden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Kiskadden (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 Kiskadden mean?
A Scottish surname probably derived from a place name related to the Gaelic words "cos" (foot) and "cadden" (pass, path, or defile). 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 Kiskadden (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 Americans have the surname Kiskadden?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.