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

Kitchen, 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 Kitchen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kitchen in America

Kitchen is the 2390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kitchen surname appeared 15,170 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Kitchen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kitchen 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 Kitchen

The surname KITCHEN originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cycene," which referred to a kitchen or cooking room. The name likely denoted someone who worked in the kitchen, either as a cook or a servant responsible for maintaining the kitchen area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KITCHEN surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de la Kuchene." This early spelling reflects the French influence on English at the time, with the addition of the preposition "de la" meaning "of the."

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various records as "Kychene," "Kychyn," and "Kychener," indicating the evolving spelling and pronunciation of the name over time. The widespread use of the KITCHEN surname during this period suggests that it gained popularity across different regions of England.

The KITCHEN name is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for the county of Somerset, where a John de la Kychene is listed as a taxpayer. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in the southwestern part of England during the medieval era.

One notable figure from history bearing the KITCHEN surname was William KITCHEN, a 16th-century English clergyman who served as the Dean of Windsor from 1563 until his death in 1568. He played a significant role in the Church of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of note was Thomas KITCHEN (1621-1659), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ripon during the Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell. He was a staunch supporter of the parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John KITCHEN (1736-1810) was a prominent English engraver and printmaker known for his detailed engravings of architectural subjects, including churches and cathedrals.

Moving to the 19th century, William KITCHEN (1823-1907) was an English civil engineer who made significant contributions to the development of railway systems in India. He served as the chief engineer for various railway projects during the British Raj.

Finally, a more recent figure with the KITCHEN surname was Michael KITCHEN (born 1948), a renowned British actor best known for his roles in television series such as Foyle's War and Grantchester. He has had a prolific career in film, television, and theater spanning several decades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kitchen

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

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

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

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