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

Perkinson, 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 Perkinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perkinson in America

Perkinson is the 14014th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perkinson surname appeared 2,149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Perkinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perkinson 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 Perkinson

The Perkinson surname originates from England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "Perkyn" and "son," meaning "son of Perkyn." The name Perkyn was a diminutive form of the name Peter, which was a popular name during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Perkinson name can be found in the Hertfordshire County Records from 1273, where it is listed as "Perkynessone." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time. Additionally, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, further solidifying its presence in medieval England.

The Perkinson name has also been linked to various place names, particularly those with the prefix "Perkin." For instance, there is a Perkins Cove in Maine, United States, which may have been influenced by early settlers bearing the Perkinson surname.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Perkinson name. One such figure was John Perkinson (1558-1617), an English clergyman who served as the rector of St. Olave's Church in London. Another was William Perkinson (1760-1832), a British naval officer who played a role in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a member of parliament.

In the literary world, Henry Perkinson (1806-1868) was an English writer and journalist known for his contributions to periodicals such as the Monthly Magazine and the Literary Gazette. Additionally, James Perkinson (1875-1941) was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Perkinson Foundation, which supported educational initiatives in his home state of West Virginia.

Lastly, it's worth mentioning John Perkinson (1935-2022), a renowned British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Barbican Centre in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perkinson

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

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

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

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