Explore the Family Name Kennebeck
The meaning of Kennebeck
Americanized form of German Kernebeck: habitational name from a large farm so named in the Westphalian Muensterland. History: The progenitor of the Kennebecks was Johann Bernard Kernebeck from Epe (now part of Gronau) in Germany, who arrived in New Orleans in 1843 and settled in IL. It was his son Bernard Heinrich, whose surname is recorded in the spelling Kennebeck.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kennebeck in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Kennebeck' has seen a slight dip from 2000 to 2010. Ranked at 43,875 in 2000, it moved down to a rank of 45,412 in 2010, marking a decrease of 3.5%. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Kennebeck surname increased slightly over the ten-year period, from 463 to 471, representing a growth rate of 1.73%. However, as a proportion per 100,000 people, the presence of the name Kennebeck declined by 5.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,875 | #45,412 | -3.5% |
| Count | 463 | 471 | 1.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.16 | -5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kennebeck
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the Kennebeck surname identify as White. In 2000, this accounted for 97.41% of all Kennebecks, although there was a slight decrease by 2010, falling to 95.75%. While no Kennebecks identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census years, there were small but notable changes in other ethnic identities. By 2010, 2.34% of Kennebecks identified as belonging to two or more races, marking a new development in the decade. Similarly, a small percentage (1.06%) identified as Hispanic, up from zero in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.41% | 95.75% | -1.7% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 2.34% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.06% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |