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

Atkin, 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 Atkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atkin in America

Atkin is the 13049th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atkin surname appeared 2,353 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 Atkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atkin 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 Atkin

The surname Atkin has its origins in England, traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name Ada or Adam, with the diminutive suffix "-kin" added, meaning "little." Therefore, Atkin essentially means "little Adam" or "son of Adam."

One of the earliest known instances of the name Atkin can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Yorkshire from 1212, which mentions a person named William Adekyn. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also recorded individuals named Adekin and Atekyn in various counties of England.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often associated with places like Atkin's Green in Staffordshire, Atkin's Farm in Gloucestershire, and Atkin's Ley in Worcestershire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Atkin who owned or resided in those locations.

In the 14th century, the Atkin surname appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a man named John Attekin was recorded in 1379. The name also appeared in the Poll Tax returns of Howdenshire in 1379, where Richard Atekyn was listed.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Atkin include:

1. Robert Atkin (c. 1590 - c. 1655), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
2. Edmund Atkin (1701 - 1776), an English surveyor and architect who designed several buildings in London, including the Church of St. George in the East.
3. John Atkin (1736 - 1811), an English clergyman and mathematician, known for his work on spherical trigonometry.
4. Sarah Atkin (1827 - 1911), an English watercolor painter and illustrator, renowned for her depictions of rural life and landscapes.
5. Joseph Atkin (1837 - 1910), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester, including the Royal Exchange Theatre.

The Atkin surname has been present in various parts of England for centuries, with concentrations in counties like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has continued to be used by families throughout the centuries, contributing to the rich tapestry of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atkin

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

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

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

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