2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aitkenhead
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Dalmeny in East Lothian, likely meaning "Aitken's headland."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Aitkenhead. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aitkenhead 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 Aitkenhead with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Aitkenhead in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitkenhead, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aitkenhead
The surname Aitkenhead originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak and "hēafod" meaning head or hill, likely referring to a settlement located on an oak-covered hill or promontory.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The spelling "Akheneved" is found in this record.
In the 14th century, the name was recorded as Akynhevid in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the Scottish government. This spelling variation suggests the name's pronunciation may have evolved over time.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Aitkenhead, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was granted lands in Berwickshire for his service.
In the 16th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as Aikinhead or Akinhead, reflecting the various regional pronunciations and dialects of the time. A prominent figure with this spelling was Robert Aikinhead, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Edinburgh who lived from 1540 to 1618.
Another notable individual was Sir Richard Aitkenhead, a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the Acts of Union in 1707, which united the kingdoms of Scotland and England.
During the 18th century, the surname was sometimes associated with the place name Aitkenhead, a small village located in East Ayrshire, Scotland. This village likely derived its name from the surname itself, reflecting the connection between the name and a specific geographic location.
Reverend James Aitkenhead, born in 1753, was a prominent Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works and served as a minister in various parishes throughout his lifetime.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Aitkenhead throughout history, demonstrating its long-standing Scottish roots and the various spelling variations it has undergone over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aitkenhead
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitkenhead, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Aitkenhead 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 Aitkenhead surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aitkenhead
Aitkenhead appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 7,262 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 Aitkenhead 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 | #151,532 | #144,270 | 4.8% |
| Count | 108 | 117 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aitkenhead bearers went from 108 to 117 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 7,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #144,270.
FAQ
Aitkenhead surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aitkenhead?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Aitkenhead. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Aitkenhead?
Aitkenhead ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Aitkenhead. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Aitkenhead.
Has Aitkenhead become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aitkenhead went from 108 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Aitkenhead?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aitkenhead, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) 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 Aitkenhead in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aitkenhead appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Hispanic (6.8%), 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 Aitkenhead (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 Aitkenhead mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Dalmeny in East Lothian, likely meaning "Aitken's headland." 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 Aitkenhead (0.04 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 Aitkenhead?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.