Kidd
A surname with more than one possible origin, most commonly from the word for a young goat, and sometimes from a nickname or older personal name.
The #1,060 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,303 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Kidd is usually explained as coming from Middle English kid, meaning a young goat, so it began as a nickname or descriptive byname, much like other animal-based surnames. Some 19th-century sources also connect it with older personal names such as Cydd or Kide, and one notes a possible Dutch form Kidde. Because the evidence points in more than one direction, the name is best treated as having mixed or uncertain origins rather than a single fixed derivation.
History
The name is found early in medieval records in forms such as Kyd and Kide, and later becomes established in several English counties. Bardsley and Lower both discuss it, but they differ in emphasis: one favors the “young goat” explanation, while another allows for a personal-name source. The surname is also familiar from the notable seafarer William Kidd, which helped keep it widely recognized in English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname books, Kidd is grouped with other animal-based names like Lamb, Colt, and Hogg.
From the historical record
“Kibblethwaite, a local name. KIDD. KID. The young of a goat- analogous to Lamb, Colt, &c, KIDDELL. KIDDLE. Kiddel, a township CO. York. KIDDER. One who travels with goods for sale. " A huckster who carries corn, vic- tuals, &c., up and down to sell." Bailey. The Gothic hjfa signifies to deal or hawk. Most if not…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Kidd
- Jason Kidd (b. 1973)
- William Kidd (1645–1701)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.