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

Wilkens, 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 Wilkens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilkens in America

Wilkens is the 8114th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilkens surname appeared 4,086 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 Wilkens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilkens 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 Wilkens

The surname WILKENS has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically in the Old English and Old German words "wilcuma" and "willkommen," which translate to "welcome" or "well-received." It was a name given to those who were hospitable or provided lodging to travelers.

The name WILKENS first emerged in the areas of modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and England during the Middle Ages. In England, the earliest recorded instance of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Wilcuma" and "Wilcumbe."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Wilhelm Wilkens, a German merchant who lived in the 13th century and was involved in the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organization in Northern Europe. Another notable figure was John Wilkens, an English priest and writer who lived in the 15th century and authored several theological works.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records from the Netherlands, where it was spelled as "Wilkens" and "Wilkensz." One of the most famous Dutch bearers of the name was Rembert Wilkens (1516-1585), a renowned painter and engraver who was a member of the Antwerp School of artists.

The surname WILKENS also has a strong presence in the United States, where it was brought by German and Dutch immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable American with this surname was Robert Wilkens (1796-1873), a politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Governor of Missouri from 1836 to 1838.

Another prominent figure was Gustav Wilkens (1833-1908), a German-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Gansevoort Market and the Ansonia Hotel. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Romanesque Revival style in American architecture.

In the 20th century, the name WILKENS was carried by individuals such as Walter Wilkens (1876-1958), a German-American civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Holland Tunnel between New Jersey and New York City, and Erwin Wilkens (1900-1964), a German actor and film director who worked in the era of silent and early sound films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilkens

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

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

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

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