2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arkens
A derived surname potentially originating from 'Arken', a place name from the Netherlands.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Arkens. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arkens 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Arkens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkens, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arkens
The surname Arkens is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from an Old English word "arken" or "arkan," which referred to a person who lived near or tended to an ark or chest. This occupation-based surname was likely given to those responsible for safeguarding important documents or valuables stored in arks or chests, a crucial role in those times.
The name's earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. One of the earliest known bearers was Johanne de Arkan, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. Another early reference is found in the Huntingdonshire Feet of Fines from 1305, which cites a Richard Arkyn.
As the surname evolved over time, it underwent various spelling variations, including Arken, Arkyn, Arkan, and Arkens, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations. In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form of "de Arken" in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, suggesting a connection to a specific place or location.
One notable bearer of the Arkens name was William Arkens, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 15th century. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1481 and played a significant role in the city's affairs during that era.
Another historical figure with this surname was John Arkens, a scholar and clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Cambridgeshire in 1524 and later became the Dean of Norwich Cathedral, serving in that position from 1583 until his death in 1592.
In the 17th century, the Arkens surname is found in parish records from various counties, including Lincolnshire, where a Thomas Arkens was baptized in the village of Gainsborough in 1635.
During the 18th century, the name gained some prominence with individuals like Sir William Arkens, a notable landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He was born in 1712 and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county.
The 19th century saw the Arkens surname spread further across England and even into Scotland and Wales, with individuals like Robert Arkens, a successful businessman and industrialist from Manchester, who lived from 1815 to 1887.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arkens
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkens, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Arkens 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 Arkens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arkens
Arkens 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,636 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 12,636 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,537 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 Arkens 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 | #150,452 | #152,989 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 105 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arkens bearers went from 109 to 105 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,537 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,989.
FAQ
Arkens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arkens?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Arkens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Arkens?
Arkens ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Arkens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Arkens.
Has Arkens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arkens went from 109 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Arkens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arkens, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Arkens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arkens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Black (1.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Arkens (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 Arkens mean?
A derived surname potentially originating from 'Arken', a place name from the Netherlands. 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 Arkens (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 people have the surname Arkens?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.