2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fitkin
A diminutive form of the surname Fitts, derived from the medieval personal name Fitz, meaning "son of."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 162 Americans carry the last name Fitkin. That puts it at #127,013 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,115,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fitkin 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.
Bearers in the US
162
1 in 2,115,768
Census rank
#127,013
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
141
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 141 bearers of the surname Fitkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 127013th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fitkin
The surname FITKIN is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Lincolnshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "fitt," meaning a small piece or portion of land, and "kin," meaning a small place or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the FITKIN surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1275, which mentions a John Fitkin. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the FITKIN surname appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Ingoldmells in Lincolnshire, indicating that the family had a presence in the area during that time period. The name was also recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273-1276, which were early census-like records.
The FITKIN surname may have been derived from a place name, as was common practice during the Middle Ages. It is possible that the name originated from a small hamlet or settlement known as "Fitkin's Place" or something similar, though no such place name has been definitively identified.
One notable individual with the FITKIN surname was William Fitkin, who was born in Lincolnshire in 1590. He was a prominent composer and organist during the early 17th century and served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under King Charles I.
Another historical figure bearing the FITKIN name was John Fitkin, who was born in Yorkshire in 1643. He was a renowned scholar and author, best known for his work "A Philosophical Survey of the Animal Creation," published in 1687.
In the 18th century, Thomas Fitkin, born in Lincolnshire in 1712, was a successful merchant and landowner. He was instrumental in the establishment of several trade routes between England and the American colonies.
During the 19th century, Mary Fitkin, born in Nottinghamshire in 1832, gained recognition as a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and lectured extensively on the importance of equal educational opportunities for women.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Sir Arthur Fitkin, born in London in 1879, was a distinguished diplomat and statesman. He served as the British Ambassador to several countries, including France and Spain, and played a significant role in international affairs during his career.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fitkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fitkin 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 Fitkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 7
- Two or more races2.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fitkin
Fitkin 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
#106,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
+27 bearers (+19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 8,919 places
2020
#127,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
-26 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 20,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #106,570 | 167 | 0.06 | +27 bearers (+19.3%) | Up 8,919 places |
| 2020 | #127,013 | 141 | 0.05 | -26 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 20,443 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 Fitkin 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 | #106,570 | #127,013 | -19.2% |
| Count | 167 | 141 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -21.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fitkin bearers went from 167 to 141 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 20,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #106,570 to #127,013.
FAQ
Fitkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fitkin?
Name Census estimates that about 162 living Americans carry the surname Fitkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,115,768 residents.
How common is Fitkin?
Fitkin ranks #127,013 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 141 people with the surname Fitkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (162), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Fitkin.
Has Fitkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fitkin went from 167 recorded bearers to 141. That is a decrease of 26 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #106,570 to #127,013.
What does the Census say about the background of Fitkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fitkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Fitkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fitkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Fitkin (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 Fitkin mean?
A diminutive form of the surname Fitts, derived from the medieval personal name Fitz, meaning "son of." 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 Fitkin (0.05 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 Fitkin?
Find out how common the surname Fitkin is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.