2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Waskin
A surname derived from a Polish place name, possibly referring to a person from a location called Waska.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Waskin. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waskin 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Waskin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waskin
The surname Waskin originated in England during the late medieval period, likely deriving from the Old English word "wæsc," which means "to wash" or "to wet." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a body of water or worked as a launderer or washer.
The earliest recorded instance of the Waskin surname appears in the 1379 Poll Tax Records of Yorkshire, where a certain John Waskin is mentioned. This reference indicates that the name was already established in the northern regions of England by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Waskin name can be found in several parish records across Yorkshire and Lancashire. One noteworthy individual was Thomas Waskin, born in 1542 in Keighley, Yorkshire, who was a respected merchant and alderman in the town.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Wasken, Waskyn, and Waskine. These variations were common due to the inconsistent spelling practices of the time and regional dialects.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Waskin family settled in the area around Penrith, Cumbria. One notable member was William Waskin (1673-1741), a successful farmer and landowner who played an active role in the local community.
During the 18th century, the Waskin name gained prominence in the city of London. John Waskin (1712-1789) was a highly respected barrister and legal scholar who authored several influential treatises on English law.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many Waskins migrated from rural areas to cities in search of employment. One such individual was Robert Waskin (1822-1897), a skilled engineer who contributed to the construction of several railways and bridges across northern England.
Throughout its history, the Waskin surname has been associated with various occupations, from farmers and merchants to lawyers and engineers. While not a widespread name, it has left its mark on the annals of English history, with numerous individuals bearing the name contributing to the development of their communities and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waskin
Among Census respondents with the surname Waskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Waskin 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 Waskin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.5% · 82
- Two or more races10.9% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waskin
Waskin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,788 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Up 7,788 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 Waskin 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 | #157,234 | #149,446 | 5.0% |
| Count | 103 | 110 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waskin bearers went from 103 to 110 (+6.8% change). The surname moved up 7,788 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #149,446.
FAQ
Waskin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waskin?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Waskin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Waskin?
Waskin ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Waskin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Waskin.
Has Waskin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waskin went from 103 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 7 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Waskin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waskin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.9%) and Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Waskin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waskin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.5%), Two or More Races (10.9%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Waskin (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 Waskin mean?
A surname derived from a Polish place name, possibly referring to a person from a location called Waska. 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 Waskin (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 many people are called Waskin?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Waskin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.