2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Liken
A surname derived from the Olde English word "liken," meaning "to be pleasing or agreeable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Liken. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liken 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Liken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liken
The surname LIKEN has its origins in England, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English word "liken," which means "to please" or "to be pleasing." This suggests that the name may have originally been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was considered pleasing or agreeable in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a person named Robert Liken is mentioned. Another early record appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John Liken.
The LIKEN name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire during the Middle Ages. It is also possible that the name may have been influenced by the Old French word "liqueur," which means "to lick" or "to taste," potentially indicating a connection to a profession or trade related to food or drink.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Lykyn, Lykken, and Licken, reflecting the regional variations and phonetic adaptations common during that period. A notable individual with this surname was William Liken (c. 1530-1595), a merchant and alderman of the City of London, who was mentioned in records of the time.
During the 17th century, the name continued to be found in various parts of England, with individuals like Thomas Liken (1612-1679), a landowner from Gloucestershire, and Elizabeth Liken (c. 1640-1701), a resident of Oxfordshire, appearing in historical records.
In the 18th century, the LIKEN name gained further prominence with individuals such as Samuel Liken (1723-1792), a prominent lawyer and judge from Worcestershire, and Mary Liken (1745-1818), a philanthropist and benefactor from Oxfordshire, who left a significant endowment to support education in her local community.
Another noteworthy figure was John Liken (1778-1854), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Gloucestershire, who made significant contributions to the study of plants and their classification. His work was widely recognized and influential in the field of botany during the early 19th century.
Throughout history, the LIKEN surname has been associated with various professions and social standings, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who carried this name. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved and endured as a distinct surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liken
Among Census respondents with the surname Liken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Liken 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 Liken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 10
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liken
Liken 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-12 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,040 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,033 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 19,040 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 11,033 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 Liken 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 | #143,149 | #154,182 | -7.7% |
| Count | 116 | 103 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liken bearers went from 116 to 103 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 11,033 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #154,182.
FAQ
Liken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liken?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Liken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Liken?
Liken ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Liken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Liken.
Has Liken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liken went from 116 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Liken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liken, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.7%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Liken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Hispanic (9.7%), Black (2.9%). 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 Liken (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 Liken mean?
A surname derived from the Olde English word "liken," meaning "to be pleasing or agreeable." 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 Liken (0.03 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 Liken?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Liken, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.