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

Akers, 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 Akers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Akers in America

Akers is the 1405th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Akers surname appeared 25,290 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Akers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Akers 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 Akers

The surname Akers has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "æcern," meaning "field" or "cultivated land." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked on a field or farm.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Akers can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086. This comprehensive survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and their properties across England. The name appeared as "Achers" in the county of Warwickshire.

During the 13th century, the surname began to appear in various spellings, such as "Aker," "Akyr," and "Achere." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. The name was also associated with certain place names, such as Akers Farm in Somerset and Akers Green in Kent.

Notable individuals with the surname Akers include John Akers (1944-), an American businessman who served as the CEO of IBM from 1985 to 1993. Another prominent figure was Benjamin Paul Akers (1825-1861), an American sculptor known for his works like the Benjamin Franklin statue in Boston.

During the 16th century, the surname Akers gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Akers (1548-1624), an English composer and organist who served as the master of the choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

In the 18th century, Aretas Akers (1784-1853), an American lawyer and politician from New Hampshire, made a name for himself as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Akers (1825-1861), an English sculptor whose works included the allegorical figure "America" on the Albert Memorial in London.

As the centuries passed, the Akers surname continued to spread across various regions of England and eventually to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where descendants of the original Akers settlers can be found today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Akers

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

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

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

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