2000
#1,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.53
Uncommon Last name
Larkin
Derived from the Gaelic surname O'Lorcain, meaning "descendant of Lorcan," a personal name meaning "little fierce one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,972 Americans carry the last name Larkin. That puts it at #1,544 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,197 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larkin 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 Larkin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,197
Census rank
#1,544
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,649 bearers of the surname Larkin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1544th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Larkin
The surname Larkin originated in Ireland. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic surnames O'Lorcain, O'Loughran, and O'Larkin, derived from the personal names Lorcán and Lachtnán. These names are rooted in the Irish word "lacht," meaning "calf." The name likely referred to someone with a youthful or vigorous appearance.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century. In the Annals of Ulster, a scribe named Gilla na Naem O'Lorcain is mentioned in 1128. The surname also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters from the 15th century. The surname was prominent in counties Donegal, Louth, and Monaghan during the Middle Ages.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England compiled by William the Conqueror, there is no mention of the surname Larkin. However, variations like Lorkin and Lorkyn are listed, suggesting the name's early presence in England.
One notable bearer of the surname was Hugh Larkin (c. 1590-1660), an Irish Franciscan friar and theologian. He was a professor at the College of St. Anthony in Louvain, Belgium, and authored several works on philosophy and theology.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Larkin (1758-1858), an American merchant and diplomat. He served as the first and only U.S. consul to Mexican California from 1844 to 1848 and played a crucial role in the Mexican-American War.
In the realm of literature, Philip Larkin (1922-1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. He is known for his distinctive poetic voice and works such as "The Whitsun Weddings" and "High Windows." He was also the recipient of the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry in 1965.
James Larkin (1876-1947), an Irish trade union leader and labor activist, founded the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. He played a significant role in the Dublin Lock-out of 1913, a major industrial dispute that helped advance workers' rights in Ireland.
Finally, Maurice Larkin (1899-1964) was an Irish historian and academic. He served as the Lecky Professor of Modern History at Trinity College Dublin and authored several books on Irish history, including "The Consolidation of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, 1860-1870."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larkin
Among Census respondents with the surname Larkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Larkin 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 Larkin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 18,054
- Black or African American11.4% · 2,593
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 893
- Two or more races3.8% · 861
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 165
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 83
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larkin
Larkin 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
#1,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,578
+574 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 7.99
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#1,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,649
-929 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 7.58
Rank movement Down 23 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,418 | 23,004 | 8.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,521 | 23,578 | 7.99 | +574 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #1,544 | 22,649 | 7.58 | -929 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 23 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 Larkin 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 | #1,521 | #1,544 | -1.5% |
| Count | 23,578 | 22,649 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 7.99 | 7.58 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larkin bearers went from 23,578 to 22,649 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 23 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,521 to #1,544.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Larkin
FAQ
Larkin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larkin?
Name Census estimates that about 25,972 living Americans carry the surname Larkin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,197 residents.
How common is Larkin?
Larkin ranks #1,544 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,649 people with the surname Larkin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,972), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Larkin.
Has Larkin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larkin went from 23,578 recorded bearers to 22,649. That is a decrease of 929 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,521 to #1,544.
What does the Census say about the background of Larkin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larkin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Larkin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (18,054 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larkin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Black (11.4%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Larkin (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 Larkin mean?
Derived from the Gaelic surname O'Lorcain, meaning "descendant of Lorcan," a personal name meaning "little fierce one." 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 Larkin (7.58 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 Larkin?
Want to know how many people have the last name Larkin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.