2000
#9,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Meekins
A diminutive form of the Irish surname Meek, meaning "gentle" or "mild-mannered."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,663 Americans carry the last name Meekins. That puts it at #9,700 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Meekins 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 Meekins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,572
Census rank
#9,700
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,194 bearers of the surname Meekins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9700th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Meekins, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (41.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Meekins
The surname Meekins is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Meaking or Meeking. These place names likely come from the Old English words "mece" meaning "sword" and "ing" meaning "meadow" or "enclosure."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meekins dates back to 1273 in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, where a William de Mekinge is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various spellings such as Mekyng, Mekyn, and Mekynge in records from counties like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. These variations reflect the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
The Meekins surname is not found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their holdings in England at the time of the Norman Conquest. However, its absence does not preclude the name's existence during that period, as many names were not recorded in that particular survey.
One notable historical figure with the surname Meekins was Thomas Meekins (1592-1675), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.
Another individual of note was John Meekins (1661-1736), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire. He was involved in the wool trade and amassed a considerable fortune, allowing him to purchase several estates in the region.
In the 18th century, a man named William Meekins (1726-1795) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and instrument maker based in London. His timepieces were highly regarded and can be found in various museums and private collections today.
Moving into the 19th century, a notable individual with the Meekins surname was Elizabeth Meekins (1807-1888), a pioneering educator in the United States. She founded one of the first schools for African American children in the state of Ohio.
Finally, in the early 20th century, Henry Meekins (1885-1968) was a renowned architect from Yorkshire, England. He designed several notable buildings, including the Huddersfield Town Hall, which is considered one of his most significant works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Meekins
Among Census respondents with the surname Meekins, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (41.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Meekins 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 Meekins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.9% · 1,627
- Black or African American41.0% · 1,309
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 125
- Two or more races3.4% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Meekins
Meekins 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
#9,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
+212 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 179 places
2020
#9,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,194
-153 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,513 | 3,135 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,692 | 3,347 | 1.13 | +212 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 179 places |
| 2020 | #9,700 | 3,194 | 1.07 | -153 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 8 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 Meekins 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 | #9,692 | #9,700 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,347 | 3,194 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.07 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Meekins bearers went from 3,347 to 3,194 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,692 to #9,700.
FAQ
Meekins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Meekins?
Name Census estimates that about 3,663 living Americans carry the surname Meekins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,572 residents.
How common is Meekins?
Meekins ranks #9,700 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 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 3,194 people with the surname Meekins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,663), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 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 Meekins.
Has Meekins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Meekins went from 3,347 recorded bearers to 3,194. That is a decrease of 153 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,692 to #9,700.
What does the Census say about the background of Meekins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Meekins, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.9%. The next largest groups are Black (41.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Meekins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.9% (1,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Meekins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.9%), Black (41.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Meekins (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 Meekins mean?
A diminutive form of the Irish surname Meek, meaning "gentle" or "mild-mannered." 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 Meekins (1.07 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 Meekins?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.