2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Filkin
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "fylcian" meaning to join battle or fight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Filkin. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Filkin 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 Filkin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Filkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Filkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Filkin
The surname Filkin is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has undergone significant changes over time.
One theory suggests that the name Filkin is a diminutive form of the Old English word "fill," meaning a small hill or ridge. This indicates that the surname may have originated from a location characterized by a distinctive topographical feature, such as a small hill or elevated land.
Another possibility is that the name Filkin is derived from the Old English personal name "Filica," which itself is a diminutive form of the name "Fil." This personal name may have been given to someone with a distinctive physical characteristic or personality trait.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Filkin can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable reference is in the Feet of Fines for Essex, dated 1285, which mentions a John Filkin.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Wiltshire in 1576, where a Robert Filkin is listed as a taxpayer. This record provides evidence of the name's presence in different regions of England during this period.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Filkin throughout history are:
1. William Filkin (c. 1550 - 1620), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Andover in 1597.
2. John Filkin (c. 1580 - 1647), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of St. Margaret's Church in Canterbury.
3. Elizabeth Filkin (1640 - 1712), an English Quaker minister and writer known for her religious works and advocacy for women's rights.
4. Thomas Filkin (1725 - 1796), a British soldier who served in the American Revolutionary War and was captured by the Continental Army at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.
5. Henry Filkin (1810 - 1888), a British architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holborn Viaduct and the Coal Exchange.
While the surname Filkin may have originated from a specific location or personal name, its precise origins remain somewhat obscure. However, its presence in historical records and the accomplishments of individuals bearing this surname contribute to the rich tapestry of English nomenclature and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Filkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Filkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Filkin 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 Filkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 93
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Filkin
Filkin 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+16 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,104 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-12 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,199 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 7,104 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 11,199 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 Filkin 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 | #141,140 | #152,339 | -7.9% |
| Count | 118 | 106 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Filkin bearers went from 118 to 106 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 11,199 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #152,339.
FAQ
Filkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Filkin?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Filkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Filkin?
Filkin ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Filkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Filkin.
Has Filkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Filkin went from 118 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Filkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Filkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Filkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Filkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Filkin (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 Filkin mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "fylcian" meaning to join battle or fight. 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 Filkin (0.04 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 are called Filkin?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Filkin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.