2000
#10,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,695
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Simkins
Derived from the medieval personal name Simkin, a diminutive of Simon, meaning "he has heard."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,133 Americans carry the last name Simkins. That puts it at #11,088 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,401 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simkins 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 Simkins with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,401
Census rank
#11,088
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,732 bearers of the surname Simkins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11088th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simkins
The surname SIMKINS has its origins in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Sigemund," which means "victorious protector." The name likely originated in the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire, where early records show the name spelled as Simkin, Simkyn, and Symkyn.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, which mentions a "Simkin de Beldesert." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals with the name, including a "Simkyn de Clent" from Worcestershire and a "Simkin de Cherleton" from Shropshire.
The SIMKINS surname may also have been influenced by the Old French word "simkin," which referred to a small ape or monkey. This connection could have led to the name being used as a nickname for someone with a small stature or perceived mischievous behavior.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across England, including the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which listed a "Simkyn Prute" in Yorkshire and a "Simkin Hayward" in Oxfordshire.
One notable bearer of the SIMKINS name was Roger Symkyn, a wealthy merchant and alderman of the City of London in the early 15th century. He was born around 1380 and served as the Sheriff of London in 1415.
Another individual of historical significance was William Simkins, a 16th-century English theologian and author. He was born in Oxfordshire around 1520 and wrote several religious works, including "A Godly Exposition upon the Twenty-third Psalm" (1559).
In the 17th century, the SIMKINS surname appeared in various parish records across England. One example is John Simkins, who was born in Warwickshire in 1623 and later served as a captain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War.
During the 18th century, the SIMKINS name was found in various parts of England, including London, where a notable bearer was Samuel Simkins, a successful merchant and philanthropist born in 1724. He founded the Simkins Charity School in Clerkenwell, which provided education for underprivileged children.
Another prominent individual with the SIMKINS surname was Edward Simkins, a 19th-century English artist and illustrator. Born in Gloucestershire in 1818, he is best known for his illustrations in books such as "The Pilgrim's Progress" and "The Arabian Nights."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simkins
Among Census respondents with the surname Simkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Simkins 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 Simkins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 2,447
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 89
- Two or more races2.9% · 79
- Black or African American2.7% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simkins
Simkins 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
#11,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,819
+124 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#11,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,732
-87 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 128 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,855 | 2,695 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,216 | 2,819 | 0.96 | +124 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #11,088 | 2,732 | 0.91 | -87 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 128 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 Simkins 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 | #11,216 | #11,088 | 1.1% |
| Count | 2,819 | 2,732 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.91 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simkins bearers went from 2,819 to 2,732 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 128 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,216 to #11,088.
FAQ
Simkins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simkins?
Name Census estimates that about 3,133 living Americans carry the surname Simkins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,401 residents.
How common is Simkins?
Simkins ranks #11,088 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,732 people with the surname Simkins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Simkins.
Has Simkins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simkins went from 2,819 recorded bearers to 2,732. That is a decrease of 87 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,216 to #11,088.
What does the Census say about the background of Simkins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simkins, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (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 Simkins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (2,447 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simkins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (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 Simkins (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 Simkins mean?
Derived from the medieval personal name Simkin, a diminutive of Simon, meaning "he has heard." 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 Simkins (0.91 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 Americans have the surname Simkins?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.