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

Kirklin, 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 Kirklin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirklin in America

Kirklin is the 22481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirklin surname appeared 1,144 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 Kirklin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirklin 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 Kirklin

The surname Kirklin has its origins in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, where it was first recorded in the early 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word 'cyrice', meaning church, and the suffix 'tun', meaning village or settlement, combined to form the place name 'Kirktoun' or 'Kirktun'. This place name likely referred to a village or settlement near a church.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Kirklin is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists the names of Scottish nobles who were forced to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'de Kyrketon', a variant spelling of the place name from which the surname originated.

In the 15th century, the surname Kirklin appeared in various Scottish records and manuscripts, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. One notable individual from this time was John Kirklin, a landowner in the county of Berwickshire, who was mentioned in a charter dated 1472.

By the 16th century, the surname had spread throughout Scotland and was also found in parts of northern England, particularly in the Borders region. A famous bearer of the name during this period was Alexander Kirklin, a Scottish scholar and clergyman who lived from 1548 to 1622. He served as the minister of the parish of Kilwinning and was known for his writings on theology and church history.

In the 17th century, the surname Kirklin continued to appear in Scottish and English records, including parish registers and court documents. One notable individual from this time was Robert Kirklin, a Scottish soldier who fought in the English Civil War and was later appointed as a colonel in the English Parliamentary army by Oliver Cromwell.

As the centuries passed, the spelling of the surname evolved, with variations such as Kirkland, Kirklyn, and Kirklin becoming more common. In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Kirklin achieved notable status, including John Kirklin, a Scottish-born artist who lived from 1807 to 1878 and was known for his landscapes and portraits.

Other notable bearers of the surname Kirklin throughout history include William Kirklin, a Scottish poet and writer who lived in the late 18th century, and James Kirklin, a Scottish-born military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent landowner in Kentucky.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirklin

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

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

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

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