2000
#733
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,597
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.79
Uncommon Last name
Kent
An English toponymic surname derived from the county of Kent or any of the various places named Kent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 48,349 Americans carry the last name Kent. That puts it at #799 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kent 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 Kent with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
48K
1 in 7,089
Census rank
#799
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
42K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,163 bearers of the surname Kent in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 799th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kent, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kent
The surname Kent originated in England, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "Cent," which referred to the county of Kent in the south-eastern part of England. The name likely emerged as a territorial surname, indicating that the bearer hailed from or lived in the region of Kent.
Kent is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early record suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the surname Kent, indicating their association with the county.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Kent can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Radulfus de Kent is mentioned. This spelling variation, "de Kent," reflects the Norman French influence on English surnames during that period.
In the 13th century, the name Kent appeared in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and their holdings. One notable individual from this time was Sir Roger de Kent, a prominent knight who served under King Edward I and participated in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century.
During the 14th century, the surname Kent continued to be prevalent in England. One notable figure from this era was John Kent (c. 1330 – c. 1400), a member of the gentry from Wiltshire who served as a member of parliament and held various positions in the county administration.
In the 15th century, the Kent surname gained further recognition with individuals like William Kent (c. 1420 – 1487), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1470.
Throughout history, the surname Kent has been associated with various notable individuals, including the renowned English landscape architect William Kent (1685 – 1748), who was instrumental in the development of the English Landscape Garden style. Another notable bearer of the name was James Kent (1763 – 1847), an American jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge on the New York Supreme Court and authored several influential legal treatises.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kent
Among Census respondents with the surname Kent, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kent 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 Kent surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 34,197
- Black or African American10.1% · 4,257
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,653
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 1,413
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 383
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 260
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kent
Kent 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
#778
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,325
+1,728 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 15.03
Rank movement Down 45 places
2020
#799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,163
-2,162 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 14.11
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #733 | 42,597 | 15.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #778 | 44,325 | 15.03 | +1,728 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 45 places |
| 2020 | #799 | 42,163 | 14.11 | -2,162 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 21 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 Kent 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 | #778 | #799 | -2.7% |
| Count | 44,325 | 42,163 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 15.03 | 14.11 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kent bearers went from 44,325 to 42,163 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #778 to #799.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kent
FAQ
Kent surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kent?
Name Census estimates that about 48,349 living Americans carry the surname Kent. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,089 residents.
How common is Kent?
Kent ranks #799 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,163 people with the surname Kent. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (48,349), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Kent.
Has Kent become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kent went from 44,325 recorded bearers to 42,163. That is a decrease of 2,162 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #778 to #799.
What does the Census say about the background of Kent?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kent, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Kent in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (34,197 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kent appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Black (10.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Kent (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 Kent mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from the county of Kent or any of the various places named Kent. 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 Kent (14.11 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 Kent?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.