2000
#6,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,755
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Kile
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a sensitive person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,322 Americans carry the last name Kile. That puts it at #6,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,403 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kile 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 Kile with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,403
Census rank
#6,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,641 bearers of the surname Kile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kile, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kile
The surname KILE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from an Old English word meaning "kiln" or "furnace." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in occupations related to pottery or metalworking, where kilns were essential tools.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KILE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the 13th century, where a certain Robert le Kile is mentioned. This indicates that the name had already become established as a hereditary surname by this time.
In the 14th century, the KILE surname appears in various records from regions such as Oxfordshire and Berkshire, with spellings like "Kile," "Kyle," and "Kylle." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
The KILE surname may also have been influenced by the Old Norse word "kili," meaning "kiln" or "furnace," as a result of the Norse invasions and settlements in parts of England during the 8th to 11th centuries.
One notable figure bearing the KILE surname was Sir John Kile, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire who lived in the 15th century. He is recorded as having donated funds for the construction of a chapel in the town of Cirencester.
Another historical figure was William Kile, a member of the English gentry from Oxfordshire, who lived during the 16th century. He is mentioned in the records of the Court of Wards and Liveries, which oversaw the estates of minors and widows.
In the 17th century, the KILE surname can be found in various parish records from counties like Norfolk and Suffolk, suggesting that the name had spread across different regions of England.
During the 18th century, a notable bearer of the KILE surname was Joseph Kile, a prominent clockmaker from London who is credited with introducing several innovations in clock design and manufacturing.
Another individual of note was Robert Kile, a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and fought alongside the British forces against the American colonists in the late 18th century.
As the centuries progressed, the KILE surname continued to be represented across various parts of England, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields, including agriculture, trade, and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kile
Among Census respondents with the surname Kile, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kile 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 Kile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 4,261
- Two or more races3.9% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 112
- Black or African American0.9% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kile
Kile 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
#6,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,234
+479 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 84 places
2020
#6,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,641
-593 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,570 | 4,755 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,486 | 5,234 | 1.77 | +479 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 84 places |
| 2020 | #6,977 | 4,641 | 1.55 | -593 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 491 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 Kile 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 | #6,486 | #6,977 | -7.6% |
| Count | 5,234 | 4,641 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.55 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kile bearers went from 5,234 to 4,641 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 491 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,486 to #6,977.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kile
FAQ
Kile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kile?
Name Census estimates that about 5,322 living Americans carry the surname Kile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,403 residents.
How common is Kile?
Kile ranks #6,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,641 people with the surname Kile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kile.
Has Kile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kile went from 5,234 recorded bearers to 4,641. That is a decrease of 593 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,486 to #6,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Kile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kile, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Kile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (4,261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Kile (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 Kile mean?
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a place name or a nickname for a sensitive person. 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 Kile (1.55 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 Kile?
See how many people are called Kile on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.