Find out how popular the last name Ackerson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ackerson.

Ackerson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ackerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ackerson in America

Ackerson is the 9902nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ackerson surname appeared 3,264 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ackerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ackerson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ackerson

The surname Ackerson is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak, and "hyrst" meaning a wooded hill or ridge. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Acreshyrst," referring to a place name in Buckinghamshire. This suggests that the name was initially a locational surname, given to individuals who lived near or on an oak-covered ridge.

By the 13th century, variations of the name began to emerge, such as Acresherst, Acrysherst, and Akreshurst. These variations reflected the different dialectal pronunciations and spellings of the time. The modern spelling of Ackerson is thought to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Ackerson (1555-1619), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another was William Ackerson (1610-1678), a Puritan settler who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the town of Ipswich.

In the 18th century, the Ackerson family became prominent in New Jersey, with Abraham Ackerson (1720-1787) serving as a militia officer during the American Revolutionary War. His grandson, James Ackerson (1785-1862), was a successful businessman and landowner in Monmouth County.

Another notable individual was Emily Ackerson (1840-1925), an American educator and suffragist who worked tirelessly for women's rights and was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement in New Jersey.

While the Ackerson surname is not particularly common, it has persisted throughout history, with bearers making significant contributions in various fields, from politics and business to education and social activism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ackerson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ackerson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ackerson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ackerson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ackerson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ackerson, please contact us.

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