The Kidd surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 33,186 people carried this name — #1,060 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 8,890 people counted. That is up 4% from 31,886 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Kidd surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the kid’.

An early record he cites: Reginald Kyd, Oxfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 449 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 28 births for the Kidd name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,200 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 18
Leinster 9
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 46 people named Kidd live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 33
Chubut 13

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

24 people named Kidd is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 24

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Kidd was found among the farmers of Staffordshire: 16 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Staffordshire 16

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland, 1880s

Kidd was 10 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 1,000. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Found over a large part of Scotland, but rare in the north.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 590 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Kidd was recorded 64 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 413th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 110. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

53 families named Kidd, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 295 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Virginia 25
Pennsylvania 10
New York 7
Maryland 5
South Carolina 4
Massachusetts 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 248 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Kidd in American newspapers,
1880–1905.

Newspaper page from The New Orleans Daily Democrat carrying the name Kidd
The New Orleans Daily Democrat 1880-04-17
Newspaper page from The New Orleans Daily Democrat carrying the name Kidd
The New Orleans Daily Democrat 1880-04-16
Newspaper page from New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union carrying the name Kidd
New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union 1905-01-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 141,014 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Kidd in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

67,265 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kidd. The most, 14,762, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 32,263
Queensland 11,420
Victoria 11,131
Tasmania 5,382
Western Australia 3,439
South Australia 3,364
ACT (Canberra) 164
Northern Territory 27

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kidd.

Who carried it

People named Kidd,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Kidd
    William Kidd 1645–1701 · military personnel
  • Paul Kidd d. 2002 · journalist
  • Neville Kidd d. 2023 · soldier
  • Henry Kidd d. 1923
  • Elizabeth Constance Kidd d. 1904
  • Betty Kidd d. 1764

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Kidd,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,479 records

2,479 records of the Kidd name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,106
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 359
  • Other U.S. records 1,014
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Johnny L. Kidd

    Born 1922 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1942 at Santa Fe, New Mexico; mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1971, buried at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Kidd

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the State of Alabama from Glasgow and Larne, aged 24; servant. From Ireland; bound for Boston.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Donald Eugene Kidd

    Born 1942; from Louisville, Kentucky. U.S. Army, armor crewman; killed in action 1968 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,479 records for Kidd in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,511 records

1,511 records of the Kidd name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 709
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 273
  • Other Australian records 529
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Jane Kidd

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Emma Eugenia, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Manchester, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1846. Married 1846 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Hepburn Kidd

    Died 1892 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 68. Will registered in Tasmania in 1892.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Robert Kidd

    Born 1864 in Port Sorell, Tasmania. Married 1886 in Ulverstone, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,511 records for Kidd in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada149 records

149 records of the Kidd name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 42
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 32
  • Other Canadian records 75
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sam'l Kidd

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Severn, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Dorothy Bernice Kidd

    Buried in 1981 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 78.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harry Benjami Kidd

    Died 1971 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 79.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 149 records for Kidd in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom101 records

101 records of the Kidd name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 48
  • Stirling Council burial records 32
  • Other British records 21
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Matthew Kidd

    Buried in 1924 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 78.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ada Amelia Kidd

    Will proved in 1939; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Harry M. Kidd

    Died 1915. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 101 records for Kidd in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand52 records

52 records of the Kidd name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 41
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 8
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Kidd

    Died 1921, aged 77; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Cameron Kidd

    Buried in 1904 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 67.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Kidd

    New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 52 records for Kidd in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands19 records

19 records of the Kidd name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 11
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 8
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alexander David Kidd

    Married in 1885 in Rotterdam. Died 1896 in Rotterdam, aged 65.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Emil Andrew Kidd

    Married in 1946 in De Bilt.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Rebecca Strune Christie Kidd

    In the population register of Broughty Ferry, Scotland; born 1918 in Broughty Ferry, Scotland.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Kidd in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France3 records

3 records of the Kidd name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Albert Auguste Kidd

    Born 1919 in Boulogne-sur-Mer; died 1993 in Saint-Martin-Boulogne (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanine Martha Kidd

    Born 1924 in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais); died 1989 in Brest (Finistère).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Kidd in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kidd.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Kidd is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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