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

Atcheson, 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 Atcheson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atcheson in America

Atcheson is the 39960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atcheson surname appeared 549 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Atcheson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atcheson 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 Atcheson

The surname Atcheson is believed to have originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak, and "tun" meaning a settlement or enclosure, thus suggesting that the name referred to a settlement near an oak tree or oak grove.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Achesoune, found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1455. Other early variants include Achesoun, Acheson, and Atcheson, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations in spelling.

In medieval times, the Atcheson family is believed to have been prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. The name is associated with the lands of Aitchison's Haven near Coldingham, which were granted to the family in the 13th century.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Atcheson, a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Galloway from 1366 to 1378. He played a significant role in the ecclesiastical affairs of Scotland during the reign of King David II.

Sir Archibald Atcheson (c. 1570-1638) was a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for Scotland under King James VI and I. He was also involved in the colonization of Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Atcheson family produced several prominent figures, including Captain Robert Atcheson (1706-1776), a British naval officer who served in the Seven Years' War, and Sir Samuel Atcheson (1717-1804), a Scottish judge and Lord of Session.

Another notable bearer of the name was Alexander Atcheson (1804-1868), a Scottish-born American who became a prominent businessman and landowner in Texas. He played a significant role in the development of the cattle industry in the region.

The Atcheson surname has also been recorded in various historical documents, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded individuals who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England, and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland from the 14th century onwards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atcheson

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

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

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

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