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

Askins, 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 Askins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Askins in America

Askins is the 9141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Askins surname appeared 3,569 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 Askins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Askins 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 Askins

The surname Askins has its roots in England, originating in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "aesc" meaning ash tree and "kin" referring to a small settlement or homestead, suggesting that the name initially referred to someone who lived near an ash tree or in a place with an abundance of ash trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Askins can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record from 1279, which mentions a Robert de Askyn. This spelling variation, "Askyn," is believed to be an early form of the surname Askins.

Another early reference to the name comes from the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which lists a John Askyn, indicating the name's presence in different parts of England during the medieval period.

In the late 16th century, the surname appeared in the Parish Registers of Ellesmere, Shropshire, with the birth of William Askins recorded in 1595. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling of the surname.

Over the centuries, the Askins surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was John Askins (c. 1680-1744), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the early 18th century and played a role in the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718.

Another notable bearer of the Askins name was Thomas Askins (1764-1846), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London, including the original Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Askins was Richard Askins (c. 1640-1694), an English immigrant who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a prominent landowner and businessman in the colony.

Thomas Askins (1804-1893), an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1853.

More recently, James Askins (1937-2018) was an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale metal sculptures, many of which can be found in public spaces across the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Askins

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

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

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

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