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

Simpkins, 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 Simpkins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Simpkins in America

Simpkins is the 3107th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Simpkins surname appeared 11,585 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Simpkins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Simpkins 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 Simpkins

The surname Simpkins originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is a diminutive form of the name Simon, derived from the Old French name 'Simone'. The name was initially found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Essex.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Simpkins can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, where it is listed as 'Simekinus'. The Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record from the late 13th century, also lists several variations of the name, such as 'Symonkin' and 'Simkyn'.

The Simpkins surname is believed to have originated from a nickname for a person with a diminutive or small stature, as 'kin' was a common suffix used to denote a small or endearing version of a name. This practice was common during the Middle Ages, when surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin.

In the 14th century, the Simpkins name appeared in various records, including the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, which lists 'Johannes Symkynson'. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also mention 'Ricardus Symkyn'.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Simpkins was William Simpkins, born in 1510 in Oxfordshire, England. Another notable figure was John Simpkins, who was born in 1647 in Hertfordshire and served as a member of Parliament for Hertford in the late 17th century.

Other historical figures with the Simpkins surname include Robert Simpkins (1609-1676), a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia, and Edward Simpkins (1691-1758), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century.

The surname Simpkins has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Simpkin's Green in Essex and Simpkin's Farm in Kent, suggesting that some individuals with this name may have derived their surnames from the places they lived or worked.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Simpkins

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

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

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

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