Explore the Family Name Kieft
The meaning of Kieft
1. Dutch: variant of Kievit, from a dialect variant of the vocabulary word meaning ‘peewit, lapwing’ found in Twente and eastern Gelderland. 2. English (Devon): variant of Welsh Kift, a habitational name from a lost or as yet unidentified place, probably in south Wales. History: Willem Kieft, born in the Netherlands, was governor of New Netherland 1638–45.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kieft in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kieft rose slightly in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 38,198th most common surname, but by 2010 it had moved up to 38,155th. This change represents a 0.11% increase in rank. In terms of actual counts, there were 545 individuals with this last name in 2000, increasing to 581 in 2010 – a 6.61% growth. Despite this growth, the proportion of people with the surname Kieft per 100,000 remained stable at 0.2.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,198 | #38,155 | 0.11% |
| Count | 545 | 581 | 6.61% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kieft
When assessing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kieft, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that it is predominantly associated with White ethnicity, though slight changes occurred from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, 98.53% of people with this surname identified as White, which decreased to 97.25% by 2010. There was no record of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native representation within this surname during either census year. However, a small percentage (0.86%) of individuals with the surname Kieft identified as belonging to two or more races in 2010, a category that wasn't represented in 2000. Additionally, the 2010 Census saw 1.20% identify as Hispanic which was not the case in the previous census. The proportion of Black individuals bearing this surname, while small in 2000 (0.92%), was absent in the 2010 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 98.53% | 97.25% | -1.3% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.2% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0.86% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0.92% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |