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

Wilkinson, 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 Wilkinson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilkinson in America

Wilkinson is the 634th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wilkinson surname appeared 53,739 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Wilkinson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wilkinson 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 Wilkinson

The surname Wilkinson originated in England, with its roots dating back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "Wil" and "cyn," which together translate to "the son of William." It was initially a patronymic surname, identifying individuals as the descendants of someone named William.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Wilkinson surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named William Wilkinson is mentioned. Over the following centuries, the name spread across various regions of England, particularly in areas like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland.

The Wilkinson surname appears in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals with similar spellings like "Wilchineson" and "Wilchenson." Other early references can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where the name is spelled "Wylkynson."

Notable individuals bearing the Wilkinson surname throughout history include Sir John Wilkinson (1585-1649), a prominent English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the English Civil War. Another famous Wilkinson was John Wilkinson (1728-1808), an English ironmaster and pioneer in the industrial revolution, credited with developing the first cast iron bridge in Shropshire.

Reverend John Wilkinson (1728-1808) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the headmaster of Maidstone Grammar School in Kent. In the field of literature, Tate Wilkinson (1739-1803) was an English actor and theatre manager who established the Theatre Royal in York.

Geoffrey Wilkinson (1921-1996) was a renowned English chemist who made significant contributions to the field of organometallic chemistry and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1973 for his work on chemical bonding.

The Wilkinson surname has a rich history deeply rooted in England, with its patronymic origins reflecting the influence of the name William. From early records to prominent figures across various fields, the name has left an indelible mark on British history and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilkinson

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

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

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

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