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

Donkin, 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 Donkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Donkin in America

Donkin is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Donkin surname appeared 280 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 Donkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Donkin 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 Donkin

The surname Donkin is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dun" or "don," meaning a hill or a low-lying area, and "kin," which refers to a small settlement or dwelling. This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a hill or in a low-lying area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Donkin can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Dunchin" and "Dunchin," which further supports the theory of its Old English origin.

In the 13th century, records show individuals bearing the name Donkin living in various parts of Yorkshire, particularly in areas like Doncaster and Donington. These place names are believed to have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Donkin throughout history include:

1. Sir Rufane Donkin (1773-1841), a British Army officer who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the Governor of the Cape Colony in South Africa.

2. Bryan Donkin (1768-1855), a British inventor and industrialist who is credited with developing the first successful paper-making machine.

3. John Donkin (1802-1853), a British land surveyor and explorer who surveyed large parts of South Africa and Namibia in the 19th century.

4. Robert Donkin (1841-1915), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of mathematical physics and celestial mechanics.

5. William Donkin (1914-1992), a British philosopher and logician who made notable contributions to the field of modal logic and the philosophy of mathematics.

Over the centuries, the surname Donkin has undergone various spelling variations, including Dunkin, Donking, and Donkyn, reflecting the influence of regional dialects and local pronunciations. However, the core meaning and origins of the name have remained consistent, tracing back to its Old English roots and the descriptive reference to a hill or low-lying settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Donkin

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

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

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

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