2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Minkins
A surname possibly derived from a nickname for someone small or diminutive.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Minkins. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minkins 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Minkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minkins
The surname Minkins finds its origins in England, with records indicating its presence dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "mynken," which referred to a nun or a small monk. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who had some connection to religious orders or monasteries.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Minkins can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where a person named Willelmus Minkin is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals during that period.
In the 13th century, the Minkins surname appeared in several historical records, including the Curia Regis Rolls of 1212, which documented legal proceedings in the royal court. A certain Roger Minkins was listed among the individuals involved in a case regarding land disputes.
As the surname spread across various regions of England, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Minkin, Minkyn, and Minkens. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the names.
One notable figure bearing the Minkins surname was Sir John Minkins, a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southampton in the late 16th century. Born in 1543, he played an active role in local affairs and held significant influence within his community.
In the 17th century, the Minkins name found its way into the records of the English Civil War. A certain Thomas Minkins, born in 1615, served as a captain in the Parliamentarian forces during the conflict, distinguishing himself in several battles against the Royalists.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Minkins, born in 1698, who was a renowned calligrapher and penmanship teacher in London during the early 18th century. Her intricate and beautiful handwriting exemplars were highly sought after by students and collectors alike.
The Minkins surname also appeared in various parish records and local histories throughout the centuries, reflecting its presence across different regions of England. Although not as widely known as some other English surnames, the Minkins name has left its mark on the historical records of the nation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Minkins 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 Minkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.6% · 106
- White6.8% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minkins
Minkins 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,887 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,983 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 15,887 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 2,983 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 Minkins 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 | #147,253 | #144,270 | 2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 117 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minkins bearers went from 112 to 117 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 2,983 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #144,270.
FAQ
Minkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minkins?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Minkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Minkins?
Minkins ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Minkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Minkins.
Has Minkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minkins went from 112 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Minkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minkins, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Minkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.6%), White (6.8%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Minkins (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 Minkins mean?
A surname possibly derived from a nickname for someone small or diminutive. 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 Minkins (0.04 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 Minkins?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Minkins, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.