2000
#4,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,917
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Kingsley
From the English place name meaning "king's meadow," or referring to someone living near or working in such a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,127 Americans carry the last name Kingsley. That puts it at #4,317 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,554 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kingsley 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 Kingsley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.1K
1 in 37,554
Census rank
#4,317
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,959 bearers of the surname Kingsley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4317th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kingsley
The surname Kingsley originates from England, having its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "cyning" meaning king, and "leah" meaning a meadow or cleared woodland area.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kingsley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. It mentions several landowners with the surname Kingsley, indicating their presence in various parts of England during that period.
Over the centuries, the name Kingsley has undergone various spelling variations, including Kingsleigh, Kyngsley, and Kyngesleye. These variations were largely due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the surname was Sir John Kingsley (c. 1305-1367), an English soldier and landowner from Cheshire. He served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War and was recognized for his valor in battles against the French.
Another prominent figure was Edward Kingsley (1577-1645), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company. He was involved in the early colonization efforts of British America and played a role in the establishment of Jamestown, one of the first permanent English settlements in the New World.
In the realm of literature, Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) was a renowned English novelist, poet, and clergyman. He authored several influential works, including "The Water-Babies" and "Westward Ho!," which explored themes of social justice and the natural world.
Sir Ben Kingsley (born 1943) is a highly acclaimed British actor, known for his versatile performances in films such as "Gandhi," for which he won an Academy Award, "Schindler's List," and "The Jungle Book."
Another notable figure is Kingsley Amis (1922-1995), an English novelist, poet, and critic. He was a prominent figure in the literary world, known for his satirical works such as "Lucky Jim" and "The Old Devils," which explored themes of academia and social commentary.
Throughout history, the surname Kingsley has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Kingsley, Cheshire; Kingsley, Staffordshire; and Kingsley, Hampshire, among others. These place names likely influenced the development and spread of the surname across different regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kingsley
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kingsley 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 Kingsley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 6,956
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 337
- Two or more races3.3% · 265
- Black or African American2.8% · 224
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kingsley
Kingsley 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
#4,417
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,043
+126 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#4,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,959
-84 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Up 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,141 | 7,917 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,417 | 8,043 | 2.73 | +126 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #4,317 | 7,959 | 2.66 | -84 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 100 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 Kingsley 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 | #4,417 | #4,317 | 2.3% |
| Count | 8,043 | 7,959 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.73 | 2.66 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kingsley bearers went from 8,043 to 7,959 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,417 to #4,317.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kingsley
FAQ
Kingsley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kingsley?
Name Census estimates that about 9,127 living Americans carry the surname Kingsley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,554 residents.
How common is Kingsley?
Kingsley ranks #4,317 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,959 people with the surname Kingsley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Kingsley.
Has Kingsley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kingsley went from 8,043 recorded bearers to 7,959. That is a decrease of 84 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,417 to #4,317.
What does the Census say about the background of Kingsley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kingsley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Kingsley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (6,956 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kingsley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Kingsley (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 Kingsley mean?
From the English place name meaning "king's meadow," or referring to someone living near or working in such a place. 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 Kingsley (2.66 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 share the surname Kingsley?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.