2000
#75,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Walken
A Germanic surname derived from the root "walk", referring to a fuller of cloth or walker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 544 Americans carry the last name Walken. That puts it at #48,145 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 630,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Walken 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 Walken with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
544
1 in 630,063
Census rank
#48,145
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
474
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 474 bearers of the surname Walken in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48145th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Walken, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (42.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Walken
The surname WALKEN has its origins in medieval England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "walcen," which means "to walk" or "to tread." The name was likely given to someone who walked with a distinct gait or who was known for their walking abilities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WALKEN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1275, where a person named Roger Walken is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, listing a William Walken.
In the 14th century, the WALKEN surname was prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from place names such as Walkington in East Yorkshire or Walton in various locations across England.
The WALKEN surname has a strong connection to the village of Walkington, located near the city of Beverley in East Yorkshire. During the medieval period, this village was known for its flourishing wool trade, and it is possible that the name WALKEN originated from individuals associated with this industry.
One notable bearer of the WALKEN surname was Sir John Walken, a prominent figure in the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1420 and was a respected merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers.
In the 16th century, the WALKEN surname gained recognition through the work of Thomas Walken (c. 1518-1568), an English Protestant reformer and martyr. Walken was burned at the stake in 1568 for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Mary I.
Another influential figure with the WALKEN surname was Christopher Walken (1616-1658), an English Puritan minister and writer. He authored several religious works and was known for his fiery sermons advocating for religious reform.
The 17th century saw the rise of Sir John Walken (1633-1718), a prominent English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire and was instrumental in the development of the East Retford area.
In the 18th century, the WALKEN surname gained literary significance through the works of James Walken (1725-1798), an English poet and playwright. His most notable work, "The Tragedy of Valens," was widely acclaimed in its time.
These historical figures and records exemplify the rich heritage and significance of the WALKEN surname, which has left an indelible mark on various aspects of English history and culture over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Walken
Among Census respondents with the surname Walken, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (42.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Walken 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 Walken surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.8% · 241
- Black or African American42.6% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 14
- Two or more races1.9% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Walken
Walken 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
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
-75 bearers (-31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 32,980 places
2020
#48,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 474
+310 bearers (+189.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 60,054 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #75,219 | 239 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | -75 bearers (-31.4%) | Down 32,980 places |
| 2020 | #48,145 | 474 | 0.16 | +310 bearers (+189.0%) | Up 60,054 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 Walken 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 | #108,199 | #48,145 | 55.5% |
| Count | 164 | 474 | 189.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.16 | 164.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Walken bearers went from 164 to 474 (+189.0% change). The surname moved up 60,054 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #48,145.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Walken
FAQ
Walken surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Walken?
Name Census estimates that about 544 living Americans carry the surname Walken. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 630,063 residents.
How common is Walken?
Walken ranks #48,145 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 474 people with the surname Walken. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (544), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Walken.
Has Walken become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Walken went from 164 recorded bearers to 474. That is an increase of 310 (+189.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #108,199 to #48,145.
What does the Census say about the background of Walken?
Among Census respondents with the surname Walken, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (42.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Walken in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.8% (241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Walken appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.8%), Black (42.6%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Walken (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 Walken mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the root "walk", referring to a fuller of cloth or walker. 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 Walken (0.16 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 share the surname Walken?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.