2000
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Aitken
A Scottish surname derived from a diminutive of Adam, meaning "son of Adam."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,781 Americans carry the last name Aitken. That puts it at #7,655 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aitken 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 Aitken with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,691
Census rank
#7,655
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,169 bearers of the surname Aitken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7655th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitken, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aitken
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitken, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Aitken 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 Aitken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 3,625
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 203
- Two or more races3.5% · 144
- Black or African American2.9% · 122
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aitken
Aitken 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
#7,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,347
+197 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 235 places
2020
#7,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,169
-178 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,403 | 4,150 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,638 | 4,347 | 1.47 | +197 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 235 places |
| 2020 | #7,655 | 4,169 | 1.39 | -178 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 17 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 Aitken 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 | #7,638 | #7,655 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,347 | 4,169 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.39 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aitken bearers went from 4,347 to 4,169 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,638 to #7,655.
FAQ
Aitken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aitken?
Name Census estimates that about 4,781 living Americans carry the surname Aitken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,691 residents.
How common is Aitken?
Aitken ranks #7,655 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,169 people with the surname Aitken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,781), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Aitken.
Has Aitken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aitken went from 4,347 recorded bearers to 4,169. That is a decrease of 178 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,638 to #7,655.
What does the Census say about the background of Aitken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitken, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Aitken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (3,625 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aitken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Aitken (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 Aitken mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a diminutive of Adam, meaning "son of Adam." 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 Aitken (1.39 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 Aitken?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.