2000
#39,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 524
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Barkin
An anglicized version of a Slavic surname likely derived from a word meaning "trader" or "barterer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 566 Americans carry the last name Barkin. That puts it at #46,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 605,573 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barkin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barkin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
566
1 in 605,573
Census rank
#46,481
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
494
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 494 bearers of the surname Barkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 46481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barkin
The surname "BARKIN" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning "bare" and "cyn" meaning "family" or "kin". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a family or clan that lived in a sparsely populated or uncultivated area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BARKIN" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Barcyne". This entry refers to a landowner in the county of Lincolnshire. It is possible that the name was originally associated with a specific place or manor, as was common with many English surnames.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records as "Barkyn" and "Barkine". During this time, the name was predominantly found in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, indicating that these areas may have been strongholds for families bearing this surname.
One notable individual with the surname "BARKIN" was Sir John Barkin, a knight who lived in the late 14th century. He served as a member of Parliament for the county of Lincolnshire and was involved in various military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Thomas Barkin, born in 1546 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and records show that he was involved in the wool trade, which was a significant industry in England at the time.
In the 17th century, the surname "BARKIN" appears in several parish records in the county of Norfolk. One such record from 1642 mentions a William Barkin, who was a farmer and landowner in the village of Blakeney.
During the 18th century, the surname "BARKIN" spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Ireland. One notable individual from this period was James Barkin, born in 1748 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a renowned philosopher and writer, and his works on ethics and political theory were widely read and influential.
Another individual of note was Mary Barkin, born in 1782 in County Cork, Ireland. She was a renowned poet and activist, known for her works that championed women's rights and social reform. Her collection of poems, "Echoes from the Emerald Isle," published in 1829, was widely acclaimed and helped to establish her reputation as a leading literary figure of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Barkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Barkin 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 Barkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 398
- Black or African American12.8% · 63
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 6
- Two or more races1.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barkin
Barkin 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
#44,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 486
-38 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 4,771 places
2020
#46,481
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 494
+8 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 2,211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,499 | 524 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #44,270 | 486 | 0.16 | -38 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 4,771 places |
| 2020 | #46,481 | 494 | 0.17 | +8 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 2,211 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 Barkin 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 | #44,270 | #46,481 | -5.0% |
| Count | 486 | 494 | 1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.17 | 3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barkin bearers went from 486 to 494 (+1.6% change). The surname moved down 2,211 positions in the national ranking, going from #44,270 to #46,481.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barkin
FAQ
Barkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barkin?
Name Census estimates that about 566 living Americans carry the surname Barkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 605,573 residents.
How common is Barkin?
Barkin ranks #46,481 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 494 people with the surname Barkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (566), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Barkin.
Has Barkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barkin went from 486 recorded bearers to 494. That is an increase of 8 (+1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #44,270 to #46,481.
What does the Census say about the background of Barkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Barkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (398 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (12.8%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Barkin (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 Barkin mean?
An anglicized version of a Slavic surname likely derived from a word meaning "trader" or "barterer". 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 Barkin (0.17 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 are called Barkin?
You can see how many people have the last name Barkin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.