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

Kittelson, 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 Kittelson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kittelson in America

Kittelson is the 17530th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kittelson surname appeared 1,606 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kittelson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kittelson 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 Kittelson

The surname Kittelson originated in Scandinavia, likely in Norway or Sweden, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "kettill" and "son," meaning "son of Ketill." Ketill was a common given name in the region, derived from the Norse word for "cauldron" or "kettle."

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in Norway and Sweden. It is believed that the name was initially used as a patronymic, identifying an individual as the son of someone named Ketill. Over time, it transitioned into a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Norwegian and Swedish records, such as census documents and local parish registers. One notable early example is a reference to a man named Kittel Kittelson in a document from the town of Skara, Sweden, dated 1367.

As the name spread throughout Scandinavia, it evolved into different spellings, including Kettelson, Kjetilson, and Kittilsson. In some regions, the name was also influenced by local dialects, leading to variations like Kittelsson or Kettelsson.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Kjetil Kittelson, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Erik Kittelson, a Swedish merchant and businessman active in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in several historical records in Denmark, where it was sometimes spelled Kittelsen or Kittelsøn. One prominent individual from this period was Peder Kittelson, a Danish military officer who served during the Kalmar War between Sweden and Denmark (1611-1613).

As the name spread beyond Scandinavia, it gained recognition in other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a German family with the surname Kittelson settled in the Netherlands, where they became successful merchants and traders.

Another significant figure with the surname was Anders Kittelson, a Norwegian explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 19th century (1852-1918). His contributions to cartography and exploration were widely recognized during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kittelson

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

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

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

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