2000
#13,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,027
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Acklin
Derived from a place name meaning "oak meadow" or "oak-tree hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,346 Americans carry the last name Acklin. That puts it at #14,094 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acklin 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.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,102
Census rank
#14,094
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,046 bearers of the surname Acklin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14094th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acklin
The surname Acklin is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the small village of Auchinleck, located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. The name itself is derived from the Gaelic words "achadh" meaning "field" and "leac" meaning "flat stone," thus referring to a field with a flat stone.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Acklin can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners. It is listed as "Auchinlec" in this historical document.
The Acklin surname has also been documented in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. These records provide insight into the taxation and land ownership of individuals bearing the name during that period.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named James Acklin (1505-1565) was a Scottish scholar and philosopher who served as the Principal of King's College, Aberdeen. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of logic and his advocacy for educational reform.
Another prominent individual with the Acklin surname was Sir Robert Acklin (1645-1711), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Privy Seal of Scotland in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England in 1707.
The Acklin name has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland. For instance, the village of Auchinleck in East Ayrshire was once known as "Auchinlec" or "Affleck," which are believed to be earlier spellings of the name.
Other notable individuals bearing the Acklin surname include:
1. William Acklin (1770-1836), a Scottish poet and writer known for his works on Scottish history and folklore.
2. Margaret Acklin (1810-1885), a Scottish educator and suffragist who campaigned for women's rights and educational opportunities.
3. Alexander Acklin (1860-1923), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Acklin Charitable Trust.
4. George Acklin (1895-1972), a Scottish artist renowned for his landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands.
5. Mary Acklin (1920-2005), a Scottish actress and writer who had a successful career on stage and in television.
While the Acklin surname has its origins in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the rich history and heritage associated with this name remain firmly rooted in the Scottish lands and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acklin
Among Census respondents with the surname Acklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Acklin 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 Acklin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.5% · 1,115
- Black or African American38.4% · 785
- Two or more races4.0% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acklin
Acklin 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
#13,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,209
+182 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 14 places
2020
#14,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,046
-163 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 391 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,717 | 2,027 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,703 | 2,209 | 0.75 | +182 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 14 places |
| 2020 | #14,094 | 2,046 | 0.68 | -163 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 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 Acklin 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 | #13,703 | #14,094 | -2.9% |
| Count | 2,209 | 2,046 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.68 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acklin bearers went from 2,209 to 2,046 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 391 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,703 to #14,094.
FAQ
Acklin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acklin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,346 living Americans carry the surname Acklin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,102 residents.
How common is Acklin?
Acklin ranks #14,094 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,046 people with the surname Acklin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Acklin.
Has Acklin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acklin went from 2,209 recorded bearers to 2,046. That is a decrease of 163 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,703 to #14,094.
What does the Census say about the background of Acklin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.5%. The next largest groups are Black (38.4%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Acklin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.5% (1,115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acklin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.5%), Black (38.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Acklin (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 Acklin mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak meadow" or "oak-tree hill" in Old English. 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 Acklin (0.68 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 people share the surname Acklin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.