2000
#13,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,991
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Kennison
Derived from the medieval German name Kenrich, meaning "brave ruler" or "royal ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,237 Americans carry the last name Kennison. That puts it at #14,652 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kennison 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kennison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 153,221
Census rank
#14,652
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,951 bearers of the surname Kennison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14652nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kennison
The surname Kennison is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cyn" meaning "royal" or "kin," and "sunu" meaning "son." It is believed to have originated in the county of Dorset, England, during the Anglo-Saxon period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kennison can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Chenisun." This historical record suggests that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kennison was often spelled in various ways, such as "Kennyson," "Kenison," and "Kennisson." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 14th century, a notable individual with the surname Kennison was Sir William Kennison, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was born in 1320 and died in 1389.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Kennison was John Kennison, a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Henry VI in the mid-15th century. He represented the borough of Dorchester, Dorset, from 1445 to 1460.
During the 16th century, the surname Kennison was associated with the village of Kennison, located in the county of Dorset. This place name likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.
In the 17th century, a notable individual named Thomas Kennison (1630-1689) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, England. He played a significant role in the development of the city's trade and economy.
In the 18th century, the surname Kennison was found in various parts of England, including Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. One notable figure from this period was William Kennison (1743-1815), a poet and essayist who published several works on literature and philosophy.
As the centuries passed, the Kennison surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to various parts of the world through migration and colonization. Despite its geographical spread, the name retained its English roots and connection to the county of Dorset.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kennison
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kennison 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 Kennison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 1,675
- Two or more races4.4% · 86
- Black or African American4.0% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kennison
Kennison 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
#13,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,320
+329 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 730 places
2020
#14,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,951
-369 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,475 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,907 | 1,991 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,177 | 2,320 | 0.79 | +329 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 730 places |
| 2020 | #14,652 | 1,951 | 0.65 | -369 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 1,475 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 Kennison 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 | #13,177 | #14,652 | -11.2% |
| Count | 2,320 | 1,951 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.65 | -17.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kennison bearers went from 2,320 to 1,951 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 1,475 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,177 to #14,652.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kennison
FAQ
Kennison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kennison?
Name Census estimates that about 2,237 living Americans carry the surname Kennison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,221 residents.
How common is Kennison?
Kennison ranks #14,652 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,951 people with the surname Kennison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kennison.
Has Kennison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kennison went from 2,320 recorded bearers to 1,951. That is a decrease of 369 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,177 to #14,652.
What does the Census say about the background of Kennison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kennison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Kennison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (1,675 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kennison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (4.0%). 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 Kennison (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 Kennison mean?
Derived from the medieval German name Kenrich, meaning "brave ruler" or "royal ruler." 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 Kennison (0.65 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 last name Kennison?
You can see how many people have the surname Kennison on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.