Kinsman
A surname formed from the everyday word for a relative or close family connection.
The #9,245 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 87,687 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kinsman comes straight from Middle English kin(e)man, meaning a kinsman or blood relative. It is built from kin plus man, so the literal sense is simply “family member” or “relation.” As a surname, it likely began as a nickname or identifying byname for someone known as a relative, or perhaps someone noted for family ties.
History
Lower explicitly glosses Kinsman as analogous to Cousin, which fits its obvious English-word origin. It appears to have remained a relatively uncommon surname rather than becoming a widespread hereditary name. The form is most natural in English-speaking areas and may sometimes overlap with similar surnames built from kinship terms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley specifically lists Kinsman among surname-like kinship terms, but notes that it should not be treated as just a casual term of address.
From the historical record
“Kinnersley. KINSMAN. Analoo-ous to Cousin. KINTREA. Kintra, a village in Ar- gyleshire. KIPLING. A township in the N. Riding of Yorkshire. KIR BY. (In charters, Cherchebeius, and. originally written Kirldjy). Parishes, &c., in cos. Essex, York, A\''arwick, and Norfolk, Places in cos. Lancaster, York, Nottingham,”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom