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

Larkin, 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 Larkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Larkin in America

Larkin is the 1521st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Larkin surname appeared 23,578 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Larkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Larkin 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 Larkin

The surname Larkin originated in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surnames O'Lorcain, O'Loughran, and O'Larkin, derived from the personal names Lorcán and Lachtnán. These names are rooted in the Irish word "lacht," meaning "calf." The name likely referred to someone with a youthful or vigorous appearance.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century. In the Annals of Ulster, a scribe named Gilla na Naem O'Lorcain is mentioned in 1128. The surname also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters from the 15th century. The surname was prominent in counties Donegal, Louth, and Monaghan during the Middle Ages.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England compiled by William the Conqueror, there is no mention of the surname Larkin. However, variations like Lorkin and Lorkyn are listed, suggesting the name's early presence in England.

One notable bearer of the surname was Hugh Larkin (c. 1590-1660), an Irish Franciscan friar and theologian. He was a professor at the College of St. Anthony in Louvain, Belgium, and authored several works on philosophy and theology.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Larkin (1758-1858), an American merchant and diplomat. He served as the first and only U.S. consul to Mexican California from 1844 to 1848 and played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War.

In the realm of literature, Philip Larkin (1922-1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. He is known for his distinctive poetic voice and works such as "The Whitsun Weddings" and "High Windows." He was also the recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1965.

James Larkin (1876-1947), an Irish trade union leader and labor activist, founded the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. He played a significant role in the Dublin Lock-out of 1913, a major industrial dispute that helped advance workers' rights in Ireland.

Finally, Maurice Larkin (1899-1964) was an Irish historian and academic. He served as the Lecky Professor of Modern History at Trinity College Dublin and authored several books on Irish history, including "The Consolidation of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, 1860-1870."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Larkin

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

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

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

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