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

Erskin, 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 Erskin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Erskin in America

Erskin is the 39837th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Erskin surname appeared 551 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 Erskin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Erskin 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 Erskin

The surname Erskin is of Scottish origin, derived from the lands of Erskine in Renfrewshire. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century, with the first recorded instance being Henry de Erskine, who witnessed a charter by King Malcolm IV in 1162.

The name is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words "iar" meaning "west" and "sgiath" meaning "wing" or "shelter," referring to the location of the lands of Erskine on the western side of the River Clyde. Alternatively, it may come from the Brittonic "er-ysgin" meaning "green rising ground."

In the 13th century, the Erskine family held the office of Hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland, a position of great importance and prestige. Sir Robert Erskine (c. 1295-1385) served as Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland under King David II.

The Erskine name appears in several historical records, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359 also mention various members of the Erskine family.

Notable individuals with the surname Erskin include John Erskine (1558-1634), a Scottish author and poet; Ralph Erskine (1685-1752), a Scottish minister and theologian; and Henry Erskine (1746-1817), a Scottish lawyer and politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland.

During the Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir Thomas Erskine (c. 1310-1367) was a prominent military leader and a close companion of King Robert the Bruce. In the 15th century, Sir Thomas Erskine (1445-1494) was Lord High Constable of Scotland and played a crucial role in the Battle of Sauchieburn.

Another prominent figure was John Erskine (1509-1591), a Scottish Protestant reformer and supporter of John Knox, who became the first Protestant Superintendent of Angus and Mearns in 1560.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and widespread use of the surname Erskin throughout Scotland's past, showcasing its deep roots and connections to important events and figures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Erskin

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!