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

Berkin, 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 Berkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berkin in America

Berkin is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berkin surname appeared 120 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 Berkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berkin 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 Berkin

The surname Berkin originated in England in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'byrken' meaning birch tree, and 'hyll' meaning hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a birch tree-covered hill or an area with many birch trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1198, where a Robert de Birkenhill is mentioned. It is believed that this entry refers to the village of Birkenhead, which was originally known as Birken Heved or Birken Head.

In the 13th century, the Birkin family held lands in the West Riding of Yorkshire, near the village of Birkin. A member of this family, Thomas de Birkin, was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1274-1275 as holding property in the area.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Berkin surname, but it does mention the village of Birkin in Yorkshire, which was likely the origin of the family name.

Notable individuals with the surname Berkin include Sir John Berkin, a 14th-century English landowner and knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. His son, also named John Berkin (c. 1370-1435), was a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire.

In the 16th century, William Berkin (c. 1520-1591) was a renowned English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

During the English Civil War, Colonel Thomas Berkin (1615-1667) was a prominent Royalist officer who fought for King Charles I. He was later appointed as the Governor of Stafford Castle.

In the 18th century, Sir Richard Berkin (1723-1797) was a British naval officer and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean and the search for the Northwest Passage.

One of the most famous individuals with this surname was the British artist and sculptor Sir Thomas Berkin (1865-1938), known for his monumental public sculptures and memorials throughout the United Kingdom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berkin

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

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

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

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