Explore the Family Name Kenneth
The meaning of Kenneth
Scottish: now considered in Scotland as the Gaelic equivalent of the personal name Coinneach, the name of an Irish saint generally Anglicized in Ireland as Canice. However, Kenneth was originally the Anglicized form of Gaelic Cionaodh (see McKinney), a personal name ultimately of Pictish origin. Etymologically, this surname is equivalent to Kenny (which can arise from either personal name) and McKenzie (which is from Coinneach).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kenneth in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kenneth has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. Ranked at 33,090 in 2000, the surname fell in rank to 35,582 in 2010, marking a 7.53% decrease. Similarly, the count of individuals with this surname also dropped from 652 to 632, a change of -3.07%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Kenneth per 100,000 decreased by 12.5%, going from 0.24 in 2000 to 0.21 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #33,090 | #35,582 | -7.53% |
| Count | 652 | 632 | -3.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.24 | 0.21 | -12.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kenneth
Ethnicity data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows shifts in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Kenneth from 2000 to 2010. The most significant increases were among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, which increased by 181.07% and 142.79% respectively. Meanwhile, there was a marginal increase in those identifying as Black (0.46%). On the other hand, the proportion of individuals identifying as White saw a decrease of 8.52%, while those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 4.19% and 5.88% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 60.89% | 55.7% | -8.52% |
| Black | 17.48% | 17.56% | 0.46% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 15.64% | 14.72% | -5.88% |
| Hispanic | 2.15% | 5.22% | 142.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.69% | 4.75% | 181.07% |
| Two or More Races | 2.15% | 2.06% | -4.19% |