2000
#8,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,707
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Eakin
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Aodhagáin," meaning "little fire" or "born of fire."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,906 Americans carry the last name Eakin. That puts it at #9,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eakin 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 Eakin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,751
Census rank
#9,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,406 bearers of the surname Eakin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eakin
The surname Eakin is of Scottish origin, derived from the Old English words "ea" meaning river and "kin" meaning kin or family. It is believed to have originated in the Borders region of Scotland, where the earliest recorded examples of the name were found.
The name first appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Akeyn, who held lands in Berwickshire in the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form of Eakin, and the name was found in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. One notable bearer of the name was John Eakin, a merchant from Glasgow who was involved in the tobacco trade with the American colonies in the late 17th century.
The name Eakin is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Aikenhead in Renfrewshire and Aikenhauld in Lanarkshire. These place names are believed to have derived from the same Old English roots as the surname.
Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Eakin, including:
1. Thomas Eakin (1804-1859), an American painter known for his portraits and genre scenes.
2. Robert Eakin (1836-1904), a Scottish-born American artist and architect.
3. John Eakin (1870-1923), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska.
4. Mary Ann Eakin (1845-1924), an American educator and women's rights activist.
5. Paul Eakin (1912-2001), an American artist and illustrator known for his depictions of the American West.
The surname Eakin has a rich history dating back to the medieval period in Scotland, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eakin
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Eakin 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 Eakin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,123
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 117
- Two or more races3.0% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eakin
Eakin 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
#9,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,628
-79 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 790 places
2020
#9,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,406
-222 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,223 | 3,707 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,013 | 3,628 | 1.23 | -79 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 790 places |
| 2020 | #9,197 | 3,406 | 1.14 | -222 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 184 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 Eakin 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 | #9,013 | #9,197 | -2.0% |
| Count | 3,628 | 3,406 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.14 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eakin bearers went from 3,628 to 3,406 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 184 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,013 to #9,197.
FAQ
Eakin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eakin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,906 living Americans carry the surname Eakin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,751 residents.
How common is Eakin?
Eakin ranks #9,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,406 people with the surname Eakin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Eakin.
Has Eakin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eakin went from 3,628 recorded bearers to 3,406. That is a decrease of 222 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,013 to #9,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Eakin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Eakin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,123 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eakin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Eakin (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 Eakin mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Aodhagáin," meaning "little fire" or "born of fire." 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 Eakin (1.14 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 have the surname Eakin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.