2000
#46,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Ackland
Derived from a place name meaning "oak-tree land," referring to a person who lived near an oak woodland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 536 Americans carry the last name Ackland. That puts it at #48,797 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 639,467 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ackland 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 Ackland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
536
1 in 639,467
Census rank
#48,797
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
467
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 467 bearers of the surname Ackland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48797th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ackland
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ackland 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 Ackland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 427
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 16
- Two or more races2.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ackland
Ackland 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
#48,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 440
+11 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,382 places
2020
#48,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 467
+27 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,678 | 429 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,060 | 440 | 0.15 | +11 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 1,382 places |
| 2020 | #48,797 | 467 | 0.16 | +27 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 737 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 Ackland 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 | #48,060 | #48,797 | -1.5% |
| Count | 440 | 467 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.16 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ackland bearers went from 440 to 467 (+6.1% change). The surname moved down 737 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,060 to #48,797.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ackland
FAQ
Ackland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ackland?
Name Census estimates that about 536 living Americans carry the surname Ackland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 639,467 residents.
How common is Ackland?
Ackland ranks #48,797 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 467 people with the surname Ackland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (536), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ackland.
Has Ackland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ackland went from 440 recorded bearers to 467. That is an increase of 27 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,060 to #48,797.
What does the Census say about the background of Ackland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ackland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (427 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ackland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Ackland (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 Ackland mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak-tree land," referring to a person who lived near an oak woodland. 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 Ackland (0.16 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 many Americans have the surname Ackland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.