2000
#5,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,294
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Judkins
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Jordan, which means "to flow down" or "descend."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,088 Americans carry the last name Judkins. That puts it at #6,184 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,300 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Judkins 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 Judkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,300
Census rank
#6,184
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,309 bearers of the surname Judkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6184th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Judkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Judkins
The surname Judkins has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gyd," which means a conflict or a battle. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who was involved in or associated with battles or warfare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Judkins can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1194, where it appears as "Judekyn." This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Judkins began to appear more frequently in various historical records across England. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1273 mention a "William Judkyn," while the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275 record a "Roger Judekyn."
It is noteworthy that the name Judkins does not appear in the influential Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This absence suggests that the name likely emerged after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Throughout the centuries, several prominent individuals have borne the surname Judkins. One notable example is Thomas Judkins (1620-1688), an English Puritan minister who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War. Another is Sir William Judkins (1788-1857), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in the Napoleonic Wars.
In the realm of literature, the name Judkins is associated with the English author and playwright Richard Henry Judkins (1858-1928), known for his novels and plays depicting rural life in the late Victorian era.
Other historical figures with the surname Judkins include Edward Judkins (1572-1624), an English merchant and landowner in Virginia, and Mary Judkins (1837-1914), an American writer and activist involved in the women's suffrage movement.
It is clear that the surname Judkins has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in England. While its precise origins remain open to interpretation, the name's association with conflict and warfare in Old English provides an intriguing glimpse into its past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Judkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Judkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Judkins 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 Judkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.8% · 3,759
- Black or African American21.0% · 1,113
- Two or more races4.8% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 134
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Judkins
Judkins 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
#6,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,442
+148 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 289 places
2020
#6,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,309
-133 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 94 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,989 | 5,294 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,278 | 5,442 | 1.84 | +148 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 289 places |
| 2020 | #6,184 | 5,309 | 1.78 | -133 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 94 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 Judkins 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 | #6,278 | #6,184 | 1.5% |
| Count | 5,442 | 5,309 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.78 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Judkins bearers went from 5,442 to 5,309 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 94 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,278 to #6,184.
FAQ
Judkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Judkins?
Name Census estimates that about 6,088 living Americans carry the surname Judkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,300 residents.
How common is Judkins?
Judkins ranks #6,184 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,309 people with the surname Judkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,088), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Judkins.
Has Judkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Judkins went from 5,442 recorded bearers to 5,309. That is a decrease of 133 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,278 to #6,184.
What does the Census say about the background of Judkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Judkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Judkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.8% (3,759 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Judkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.8%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Judkins (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 Judkins mean?
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Jordan, which means "to flow down" or "descend." 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 Judkins (1.78 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 Americans have the surname Judkins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.