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

Calkins, 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 Calkins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calkins in America

Calkins is the 3876th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calkins surname appeared 9,146 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Calkins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calkins 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 Calkins

The surname Calkins is of English origin, derived from a locational name that refers to a place where cale or kale (a type of cabbage) was grown or sold. The name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "de Calchyn" from the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176.

The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "cawel" or "cawl," meaning cabbage or kale, and "hyn," which means a small enclosure or garden. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a cabbage field or market.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "de Caukyn" in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, and "Calkyn" in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. These variations in spelling were common during that period due to the lack of standardized spelling rules.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Calkins was William Calkins, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of Worcestershire in 1316. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Calkins, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

The surname Calkins is also associated with several place names in England, such as Calkin Green in Gloucestershire and Calkin Farm in Derbyshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, indicating areas where cabbages or kale were grown or traded.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Calkins. One of them was Hugh Calkins (1572-1644), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to New England in the early 17th century and became one of the founders of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts.

Another prominent figure was Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930), an American philosopher and psychologist who was the first woman to become president of the American Psychological Association and the American Philosophical Association.

Additionally, Erskine Calkins (1892-1961) was an American journalist and author who wrote several books on writing and journalism, including "The Married Life of the Benjamin Franklins" and "And Hear My Tale: A Study of the Literary Endeavor."

Rayford Whittingham Calkins (1887-1966) was an American geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of invertebrate fossils, particularly brachiopods.

Finally, Gary N. Calkins (1942-2008) was an American scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded the biotechnology company Icos Corporation and played a crucial role in the development of the drug Cialis for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calkins

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

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

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

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