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

Firkins, 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 Firkins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Firkins in America

Firkins is the 28587th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Firkins surname appeared 834 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 Firkins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Firkins 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 Firkins

The surname Firkins originated in England, dating back to the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "fyrkin," which means a small cask or barrel, typically used for storing liquids like ale or wine. This occupational surname was likely given to individuals involved in the production or transportation of these small casks.

The earliest known record of the name Firkins can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Richard Firekyn. Similar spellings from that era include Firkyn, Ferkyn, and Fyrkyn, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and transcription at that time.

In the late 14th century, the Firkins name appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a certain John Firkyns was mentioned in 1379. This suggests that the name had spread to different regions of England by then.

One notable historical figure bearing the Firkins surname was Thomas Firkins, a prominent merchant and politician from Bristol in the 16th century. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1564 and was a member of the Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another individual of note was John Firkins, a English clergyman who lived from 1592 to 1670. He was a renowned scholar and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire for several decades.

In the 17th century, the Firkins name was also found in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Coventry, where a family by the name of Firkins resided for generations. One member, William Firkins, was born in 1621 and worked as a tanner in the city.

The Firkins surname has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Firkins Coppice, a hamlet in Worcestershire, and Firkins Farm, located in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Firkins surname who once owned or resided in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Firkins surname include Mary Firkins, a philanthropist from London who established a charitable trust in the late 18th century, and James Firkins, a prominent architect from Birmingham in the 19th century, responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Firkins

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

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

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

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