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

Aikens, 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 Aikens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aikens in America

Aikens is the 6831st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aikens surname appeared 4,936 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Aikens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aikens 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 Aikens

The surname Aikens has its roots in the ancient lands of Scotland, where it was originally a territorial name derived from the lands of Enoch or Annock in Renfrewshire. The name is believed to have originated in the early 12th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "de Enoche" in the Registrum Monasterii de Passelet around 1165.

The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ennoc" or "enedic," meaning "a solitary or remote place." This suggests that the original bearers of the name likely hailed from a secluded or isolated location in the region.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a reference to the name "Enochesberie" appears, which is believed to be an early variant of the Aikens surname. This record provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Aikens surname was Sir John de Annok, who was a prominent landowner and knight in Renfrewshire during the 13th century. He played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence, fighting alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

Another notable figure in the history of the Aikens surname was Robert Aikens, born in 1647 in Paisley, Scotland. He was a renowned Presbyterian minister and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Church of Scotland during the Reformation era.

In the 17th century, the Aikens family spread to Ireland, where they established roots in counties such as Antrim and Down. One notable Irish bearer of the name was Reverend Samuel Aikens, born in 1725, who served as a Presbyterian minister in Ballymena, County Antrim.

As the Aikens family migrated to different parts of the world, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Aiken, Aikin, Aiking, and Aikens. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the preferences of individual families.

Another notable individual with the Aikens surname was James Aikens, born in 1795 in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, known for his generous contributions to educational institutions and charitable causes in his native city.

The Aikens surname can also be found in various place names, such as Aikens Green in Buckinghamshire, England, and Aikens Plantation in South Carolina, USA, both named after individuals bearing the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aikens

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

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

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

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