Ackland last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ackland

Derived from a place name meaning "oak-tree land," referring to a person who lived near an oak woodland.

Ackland, 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 Ackland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ackland in America

Ackland is the 48060th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ackland surname appeared 440 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ackland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ackland 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 48060 46678 2.92%
Count 440 429 2.53%
Proportion per 100k 0.15 0.16 -6.45%

The history of the last name Ackland

The surname Ackland has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name "Acland" in Devon, England. The name itself is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "ac" meaning "oak" and "land" signifying an area or estate.

The earliest recorded mention of the Ackland name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Aclant." This entry suggests that the name was already established in Devon by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, the spelling of the name evolved to "Ackland," reflecting the local pronunciation in Devon. During this time, the Ackland family held lands and manors in the area, establishing themselves as a prominent local landholding family.

One notable individual bearing the Ackland surname was Sir Hugh Ackland (c. 1390-1456), a member of the English gentry from Devon. He served as a member of Parliament for Devon in 1429 and held various official positions in the county.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Ackland (1552-1620), an English soldier and Member of Parliament. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his military service and played a role in the colonization of Virginia in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Dyke Acland (1722-1794) was a prominent landowner and politician from Devon. He served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his advocacy of agricultural improvements and support for the arts and sciences.

The Ackland name also has connections to academic institutions. Thomas Gilbank Ackland (1782-1867) was an English philanthropist who donated funds to establish the Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Another notable figure was Sir Roger Ackland (1811-1880), a British naval officer and explorer. He served in the Royal Navy and led several expeditions to the Arctic regions, making significant contributions to the exploration of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Throughout its history, the Ackland surname has been closely associated with Devon, England, where it originated and maintained a strong presence among the local gentry and landholding families for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ackland

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

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 Ackland was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.68% 421
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.36% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 1.82% 8

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 Ackland has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.68% 96.04% -0.38%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.36% 1.63% -18.06%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.82% 1.63% 11.01%

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 Ackland was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ackland last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ackland-surname-popularity/.

"Ackland last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ackland-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Ackland last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ackland-surname-popularity/.

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