Explore the Family Name Adkins
The meaning of Adkins
English: from the Middle English personal name Adkin (a pet form of Adam formed with the suffix -kin) + genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. This name was particularly common in the English Midlands. Compare Atkins.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Adkins in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Adkins has seen some fluctuations over time. In 2000, it was ranked at 408 but by 2010, it had dropped to 449, showing a decrease in rank by 10.05%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people carrying the Adkins surname increased from 71,528 in 2000 to 73,599 in 2010, representing an increase of 2.9%. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 26.52 to 24.95 across the same timeframe.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #408 | #449 | -10.05% |
| Count | 71,528 | 73,599 | 2.9% |
| Proportion per 100k | 26.52 | 24.95 | -5.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Adkins
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the Adkins surname. The dominant ethnicity identified is White, although its percentage fell slightly from 88.92% in 2000 to 87.20% in 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black and carrying the Adkins name rose modestly from 7.52% to 8.02% during this period. Interestingly, there were significant increases in the percentages of individuals identifying as both Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, with each group experiencing growth rates of 35.71% and 49.57% respectively. The proportions of people with the Adkins surname who identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native, or as belonging to two or more races, have also experienced changes, albeit smaller; the former decreased by 3.45%, while the latter saw an increase of 45.24%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.92% | 87.2% | -1.93% |
| Black | 7.52% | 8.02% | 6.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1.83% | 45.24% |
| Hispanic | 1.15% | 1.72% | 49.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.87% | 0.84% | -3.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.38% | 35.71% |
Adkins ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Adkins is British & Irish, which comprises 60.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.3%) and Eastern European (2.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.2% |
| French & German | 22.3% |
| Eastern European | 2.9% |
| Other | 14.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Adkins
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Adkins have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 90.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
What Adkins haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Adkins is I-PF4135, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-PF4135 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-Z8 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Driscoll, Slone, Hash, Monroe, Munro, Benn, Atkins, Hall, Daniel, Atkinson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Adkins surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Adkins have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Adkins" Surname 45.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Adkins" Surname 30.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Adkins" Surname 27.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Adkins" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Adkins?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Adkins are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition