2000
#9,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,232
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Lakin
Originally an English nickname for a person who played the part of a king in a medieval pageant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,448 Americans carry the last name Lakin. That puts it at #10,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lakin 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 Lakin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,407
Census rank
#10,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,007 bearers of the surname Lakin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lakin
The surname Lakin has its origins in England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "lac," which means "to play" or "to move." It is thought to have been an occupational surname given to someone who was a player or performer, such as a jester or entertainer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lakin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "Lacchen." This suggests that the name was already in use during the 12th century and may have been associated with a particular location or area in Yorkshire.
The Lakin surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Laking in Hampshire and Lakenheath in Suffolk. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
In the 13th century, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it is recorded as "Lakyn." This further solidifies the presence of the Lakin surname in different parts of England during the medieval period.
One notable individual with the surname Lakin was John Lakin, who lived in the late 16th century and served as the Mayor of Nottingham in 1593. Another Lakin of historical significance was William Lakin, born in 1636, who served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the English Civil War and played a role in the defense of Taunton during the Siege of Taunton in 1645.
In the 17th century, the name Lakin can be found in various records, including the Parish Registers of Derbyshire, where it appears as "Laking" and "Lakin." This suggests that the spelling of the surname had variations during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America is that of William Lakin, who was born in England around 1630 and emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1650s. He settled in Reading, Massachusetts, and his descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England.
Another notable individual with the Lakin surname was John Lakin, born in 1726 in Virginia. He served as a Captain in the Virginia Militia during the American Revolutionary War and played a role in the defense of Williamsburg in 1781.
Throughout history, the Lakin surname has been associated with various individuals from different walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, and community leaders. While the exact origins of the name may be shrouded in some mystery, its longstanding presence in historical records and its connection to various place names in England attest to its deep-rooted heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lakin
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lakin 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 Lakin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.7% · 2,667
- Two or more races3.4% · 103
- Black or African American3.4% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lakin
Lakin 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
#8,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,126
+894 bearers (+27.7%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 1,247 places
2020
#10,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,007
-1,119 bearers (-27.1%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 2,174 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,270 | 3,232 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,023 | 4,126 | 1.40 | +894 bearers (+27.7%) | Up 1,247 places |
| 2020 | #10,197 | 3,007 | 1.01 | -1,119 bearers (-27.1%) | Down 2,174 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 Lakin 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 | #8,023 | #10,197 | -27.1% |
| Count | 4,126 | 3,007 | -27.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.40 | 1.01 | -28.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lakin bearers went from 4,126 to 3,007 (-27.1% change). The surname moved down 2,174 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,023 to #10,197.
FAQ
Lakin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lakin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,448 living Americans carry the surname Lakin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,407 residents.
How common is Lakin?
Lakin ranks #10,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,007 people with the surname Lakin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lakin.
Has Lakin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lakin went from 4,126 recorded bearers to 3,007. That is a decrease of 1,119 (-27.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,023 to #10,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Lakin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lakin, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Lakin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,667 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lakin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (3.4%). 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 Lakin (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 Lakin mean?
Originally an English nickname for a person who played the part of a king in a medieval pageant. 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 Lakin (1.01 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 common is the surname Lakin?
If you just want to know how many people are called Lakin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.