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

Aitken, 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 Aitken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aitken in America

Aitken is the 7638th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aitken surname appeared 4,347 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 Aitken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aitken 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 Aitken

The surname Aitken is of Scottish origin, derived from the name Adam. It originated as a patronymic surname, meaning "son of Adam." The name can be traced back to the early medieval period in Scotland, particularly in areas such as Lanarkshire and Ayrshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aitken is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented homages paid to Edward I of England. The entry "Aylmer Aitken de Dargawill" is listed, suggesting the name's existence in the late 13th century.

The surname Aitken has several variations in spelling, including Aitkine, Aitken, Aitkin, and Atkin. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the medieval and early modern periods.

Historically, the name Aitken has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was John Aitken (c. 1492-1555), a Scottish clergyman and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

In the 17th century, William Aitken (1613-1677) was a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as a magistrate in Edinburgh. He was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure and trade.

Another prominent figure was Robert Aitken (1734-1802), an American printer and publisher. He is known for printing the first English-language Bible published in America, commonly referred to as the "Aitken Bible."

Sir William Edmond Aitken (1825-1892) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and businessman. He served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of the coal mining industry in Australia.

In the 20th century, Robert Grant Aitken (1864-1951) was a renowned American astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of double stars and was the founder of the Aitken Double Star Catalogue.

The surname Aitken has also been associated with various place names, such as Aitken's Hill in New South Wales, Australia, and Aitken Creek in British Columbia, Canada, reflecting the geographical spread and influence of individuals bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aitken

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

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

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

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