2000
#14,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Acheson
Derived from a place name meaning "Atchison's town" in Old English, referring to a town belonging to someone named Atchison.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,362 Americans carry the last name Acheson. That puts it at #14,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,112 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acheson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Acheson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,112
Census rank
#14,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,060 bearers of the surname Acheson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acheson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acheson
The surname Acheson is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name Achaisean, which translates to "son of Hugh" or "son of the younger son." The name was initially prevalent in the regions of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire, Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The roll includes the name "Aylmer de Achynsone," suggesting the name's connection to a specific location or landholding.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the name emerged, such as Achinsoun, Achinsoune, and Achinsone, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. The name's association with place names is evident in the village of Auchinsorn, which roughly translates to "the field of the people named Acheson."
Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname Acheson is Sir Archibald Acheson, 1st Baronet (1572-1634), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as the Secretary of State for Scotland. Another prominent individual was Sir Arthur Acheson, 1st Baronet (1688-1748), an Irish politician and landowner who played a significant role in the Irish Parliament.
In the 19th century, Dean Acheson (1893-1971), an American statesman and lawyer, rose to prominence as the 51st United States Secretary of State under President Harry S. Truman. His contributions during the critical post-World War II era left a lasting impact on American foreign policy.
Another noteworthy figure was Marcus Acheson (1825-1900), an American businessman and politician from Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1877 to 1879.
The Acheson name has been carried through the centuries by various individuals, each leaving their mark in different fields, from politics and law to business and diplomacy. While the name's origins can be traced back to Scotland, its legacy has transcended borders and continues to be a part of diverse cultural histories.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acheson
Among Census respondents with the surname Acheson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Acheson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Acheson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 1,881
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 95
- Two or more races2.3% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acheson
Acheson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,075
+142 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 162 places
2020
#14,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,060
-15 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 391 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,243 | 1,933 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,405 | 2,075 | 0.70 | +142 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 162 places |
| 2020 | #14,014 | 2,060 | 0.69 | -15 bearers (-0.7%) | Up 391 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Acheson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,405 | #14,014 | 2.7% |
| Count | 2,075 | 2,060 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.69 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acheson bearers went from 2,075 to 2,060 (-0.7% change). The surname moved up 391 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,405 to #14,014.
FAQ
Acheson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acheson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,362 living Americans carry the surname Acheson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,112 residents.
How common is Acheson?
Acheson ranks #14,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,060 people with the surname Acheson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Acheson.
Has Acheson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acheson went from 2,075 recorded bearers to 2,060. That is a decrease of 15 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,405 to #14,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Acheson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acheson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Acheson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (1,881 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acheson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (2.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Acheson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Acheson mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Atchison's town" in Old English, referring to a town belonging to someone named Atchison. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Acheson (0.69 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Acheson?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Acheson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.