2000
#47,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 415
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Kilner
An English surname derived from the medieval occupation of kiln worker or lime burner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 503 Americans carry the last name Kilner. That puts it at #51,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 681,420 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kilner 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 Kilner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
503
1 in 681,420
Census rank
#51,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
439
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 439 bearers of the surname Kilner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kilner
The surname Kilner has its origins in England, tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "cylene," which means a kiln or an oven, and the suffix "-er," indicating an occupation or a person associated with a particular trade or activity.
This surname likely originated as a descriptive name for individuals who worked with kilns, such as potters, brick makers, or lime burners. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th century onwards, with spellings like Kylner, Kilner, and Kylnere.
In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname Kilner. However, the book does contain references to individuals with occupational names related to kilns or ovens, indicating the existence of such professions during that time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Kilner surname was John Kilner, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire in 1327. Another early mention is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, from 1379, where a Thomas Kilner is listed.
The surname Kilner has been associated with various locations in England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire, where the name seems to have originated and gained prominence.
Notable individuals with the surname Kilner throughout history include:
1. John Kilner (1758-1838), an English potter and entrepreneur from Wakefield, Yorkshire, who founded the Kilner Brothers glassworks and is credited with patenting the iconic Kilner jar in 1842.
2. Thomas Kilner (1776-1834), an English mathematician and clergyman from Yorkshire, known for his work on the theory of algebraic equations.
3. William Kilner (1846-1924), a British politician and industrialist from Yorkshire, who served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the glass and pottery industries.
4. Dorothy Kilner (1755-1832), an English writer and educator from Yorkshire, known for her literary works and her contributions to the education of women.
5. William Kilner (1690-1765), an English clergyman and theologian from Derbyshire, who published several religious works and sermons during his lifetime.
While the Kilner surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and migration, with notable bearers of the name found in various countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kilner
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kilner 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 Kilner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 414
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 15
- Two or more races1.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kilner
Kilner 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
#50,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
+2 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 2,257 places
2020
#51,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 439
+22 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,084 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,939 | 415 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,196 | 417 | 0.14 | +2 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 2,257 places |
| 2020 | #51,280 | 439 | 0.15 | +22 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 1,084 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 Kilner 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 | #50,196 | #51,280 | -2.2% |
| Count | 417 | 439 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.15 | 4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kilner bearers went from 417 to 439 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 1,084 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,196 to #51,280.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kilner
FAQ
Kilner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kilner?
Name Census estimates that about 503 living Americans carry the surname Kilner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 681,420 residents.
How common is Kilner?
Kilner ranks #51,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 439 people with the surname Kilner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kilner.
Has Kilner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kilner went from 417 recorded bearers to 439. That is an increase of 22 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,196 to #51,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Kilner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kilner, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Kilner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (414 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kilner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Kilner (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 Kilner mean?
An English surname derived from the medieval occupation of kiln worker or lime burner. 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 Kilner (0.15 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 Kilner?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Kilner at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.