2000
#9,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,074
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Eakins
Derived from the Old English personal name Ēadwine, meaning "prosperous friend."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,374 Americans carry the last name Eakins. That puts it at #10,427 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,587 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Eakins 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 Eakins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,587
Census rank
#10,427
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,942 bearers of the surname Eakins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10427th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakins, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Eakins
The surname Eakins is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "eac," meaning "oak," and was initially a topographic name given to families residing near an oak tree or grove.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Eakins surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William de Acton, whose name likely evolved into Eakins over time.
During the medieval period, the Eakins name was prevalent in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. It is possible that the name was associated with specific place names, such as Eakring in Nottinghamshire or Eckington in Worcestershire.
In the 16th century, the Eakins surname appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1545, which listed a John Eakins as a taxpayer. Another notable reference is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, which document the baptism of Thomas Eakins in 1578.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Eakins surname. One of the earliest was William Eakins (c. 1590-1673), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Andrew's Church in Holborn, London.
Another influential figure was Thomas Eakins (1844-1916), an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts instructor. He is renowned for his precise brushwork and adherence to the traditions of the Renaissance masters. Eakins' works, such as "The Gross Clinic" and "The Swimming Hole," are considered masterpieces of American art.
In the realm of sports, David Eakins (1923-2001) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League during the 1940s and 1950s.
The Eakins surname has also been associated with the field of education. John Eakins (1787-1873) was a notable Scottish-born teacher and educational writer who contributed significantly to the development of education in Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada).
Finally, Alston Eakins (1935-2016) was an American artist and sculptor known for his abstract and geometric works. His sculptures can be found in various public spaces and museums across the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Eakins
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakins, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Eakins 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 Eakins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 2,430
- Black or African American9.3% · 274
- Two or more races4.0% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Eakins
Eakins 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
#10,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,090
+16 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 719 places
2020
#10,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,942
-148 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 11 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,697 | 3,074 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,416 | 3,090 | 1.05 | +16 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 719 places |
| 2020 | #10,427 | 2,942 | 0.98 | -148 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 11 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 Eakins 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 | #10,416 | #10,427 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,090 | 2,942 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.98 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Eakins bearers went from 3,090 to 2,942 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 11 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,416 to #10,427.
FAQ
Eakins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Eakins?
Name Census estimates that about 3,374 living Americans carry the surname Eakins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,587 residents.
How common is Eakins?
Eakins ranks #10,427 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,942 people with the surname Eakins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,374), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Eakins.
Has Eakins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Eakins went from 3,090 recorded bearers to 2,942. That is a decrease of 148 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,416 to #10,427.
What does the Census say about the background of Eakins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Eakins, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Eakins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (2,430 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Eakins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Black (9.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Eakins (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 Eakins mean?
Derived from the Old English personal name Ēadwine, meaning "prosperous friend." 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 Eakins (0.98 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 common is the surname Eakins?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Eakins at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.