2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Birkinshaw
A locational surname originating from a place in West Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Birkinshaw. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birkinshaw 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 Birkinshaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Birkinshaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birkinshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Birkinshaw
The surname Birkinshaw originates from England, specifically from the Yorkshire region. It dates back to the 11th century and is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bircen" meaning birch tree, and "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove. This suggests that the name was likely borne by someone who lived near a birch wood or grove.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Birchenshae," which is believed to be a variant spelling of the modern Birkinshaw.
In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as "Birkenschawe" in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines, which were legal documents related to land transfers and property disputes. This spelling further reinforces the connection to the Old English roots of the name.
One notable individual with this surname was John Birkinshaw, a Yorkshire-born politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Pontefract from 1708 to 1710. He was born in 1671 and passed away in 1727.
Another significant figure was William Birkinshaw, an English engineer and inventor who lived from 1809 to 1892. He is best known for his contributions to the development of steam engines and his work on improving the efficiency of boilers.
In the literary world, William Birkinshaw (1862-1940) was a notable English poet and writer who published several volumes of poetry and prose works during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name Birkinshaw has also been associated with several place names in Yorkshire, such as Birkinshaw in the City of Bradford and Birkinshaw in the village of Wooldale. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this name in these locations.
Throughout its history, the surname Birkinshaw has maintained its connection to its English roots and the Yorkshire region, with many notable individuals contributing to various fields, including politics, engineering, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birkinshaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Birkinshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Birkinshaw 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 Birkinshaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birkinshaw
Birkinshaw appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+10 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,013 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 10,013 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 Birkinshaw 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 | #157,234 | #147,221 | 6.4% |
| Count | 103 | 113 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birkinshaw bearers went from 103 to 113 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 10,013 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,221.
FAQ
Birkinshaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birkinshaw?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Birkinshaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Birkinshaw?
Birkinshaw ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Birkinshaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Birkinshaw.
Has Birkinshaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birkinshaw went from 103 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 10 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Birkinshaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birkinshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Birkinshaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birkinshaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Black (1.8%). 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 Birkinshaw (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 Birkinshaw mean?
A locational surname originating from a place in West Yorkshire, England. 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 Birkinshaw (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Birkinshaw?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.