# Kingston (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/kingston/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 7,033 |
| US rank (2010) | 4,998 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 43,900 people |
| Change since 2000 | +10% (6,395 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɪŋ.stən/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

In the case of settlements outside England, from king's + -ton (“town”), in reference to monarchs of the British Empire. In the case of settlements within England, a development from earlier Old English Cinges tūn or Cynges tūn (“king's town or manor”), in reference to various monarchs. Sometimes derived from other places already named Kingston or, particularly in America, from people with the surname King. Doublet of Kingstown, Kingstone, Conington, and Cunnington. Cf. also Kingsville, Kingsburg, Conisbrough, Coniston, Coniston Cold, Queenstown, Queenston, Princeton, Princetown, and Princes Town. In particular, the community founded in New Brunswick in 1783 in the aftermath of the American Revolution may have been named as a sign of loyalty to George III; its parish was named for the community.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Kingston in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 84% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 9.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Kingston in the United Kingdom and the United States.

## People named Kingston

- Alex Kingston, British actress
- Natalie Kingston, American actress (1905–1991)
- Jack Kingston, American politician
- Winifred Kingston, British actress (1894-1967)

## Similar surnames

Knighton, Kinoshita, Knight, Kincaid, Knecht, Knighten, Kincade, Kinkade, Knights, Kinkead, Kunst.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.