2000
#7,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,392
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.63
Rare Last name
Lykins
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Luigheacháin, meaning "descendant of Luightheachán," derived from a diminutive of Lughaidh, meaning "bright one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,061 Americans carry the last name Lykins. That puts it at #7,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,725 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lykins 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
5.1K
1 in 67,725
Census rank
#7,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,413 bearers of the surname Lykins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lykins, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lykins
The surname "Lykins" is believed to have originated in the German region of Bavaria during the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "lik," meaning "body." The name was likely given to someone of strong physical stature or build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a "Hans Lykins" is mentioned as a resident in 1324. Another early reference appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which lists a "Friedrich Lykins" as a landowner in 1387.
In the 15th century, the name began to spread across Central Europe, with records showing variations like "Lyckins" and "Lykens" in areas of modern-day Austria and Switzerland. During this time, the surname was also associated with certain occupations, such as tanners or leather workers, due to its connection to the word "lik" (body).
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Lykins (1475-1542), a German scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Wittenberg and was a close associate of Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
As the name spread further, it eventually made its way to the British Isles, where it underwent further spelling changes, such as "Likens" and "Lykens." One of the earliest recorded instances in England was a "William Lykins" who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1524.
In the 17th century, the Lykins surname began appearing in colonial American records, likely brought over by German and English immigrants. One of the earliest documented individuals was Hans Lykins, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 as part of the German immigration to that region.
Another notable figure was John Lykins (1765-1838), an American pioneer and frontiersman who played a role in the settlement of Kentucky and Ohio. He served as a scout and guide during the Northwest Indian War.
As the name continued to evolve, variations like "Likens," "Likings," and "Lyken" emerged, reflecting the different pronunciations and spellings adopted in various regions. Despite these changes, the core surname "Lykins" has persisted, carrying with it a rich history that spans centuries and continents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lykins
Among Census respondents with the surname Lykins, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lykins 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 Lykins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 4,091
- Two or more races3.1% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
- Black or African American0.6% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lykins
Lykins 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
#7,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,552
+160 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#7,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,413
-139 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Up 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,034 | 4,392 | 1.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,328 | 4,552 | 1.54 | +160 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #7,283 | 4,413 | 1.48 | -139 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 45 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 Lykins 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 | #7,328 | #7,283 | 0.6% |
| Count | 4,552 | 4,413 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.54 | 1.48 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lykins bearers went from 4,552 to 4,413 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,328 to #7,283.
FAQ
Lykins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lykins?
Name Census estimates that about 5,061 living Americans carry the surname Lykins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,725 residents.
How common is Lykins?
Lykins ranks #7,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,413 people with the surname Lykins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Lykins.
Has Lykins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lykins went from 4,552 recorded bearers to 4,413. That is a decrease of 139 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,328 to #7,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Lykins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lykins, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lykins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (4,091 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lykins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lykins (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 Lykins mean?
Anglicized form of Irish Ó Luigheacháin, meaning "descendant of Luightheachán," derived from a diminutive of Lughaidh, meaning "bright one." 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 Lykins (1.48 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 people have the surname Lykins?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.