Explore the Family Name Picken
The meaning of Picken
1. English and Scottish (of Norman origin): either a nickname from Old French picon ‘woodpecker’ or a patronymic from the Old French personal name Picon, apparently a transferred use of Old French picon ‘point, pointed object’ as a nickname. Compare Pickett and Pike. The Scottish surname (first recorded in 1615 in Edinburgh) was taken to Ireland, where in 1796 it is recorded as Picken in Antrim and Pickens in Cavan. See Pickens. 2. German: probably a variant of Pick 1 or 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Picken in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Picken has experienced a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Picken held rank 37,429 and by 2010 it had slipped to 41,501, a decline of approximately 10.88 percent. The total count of individuals with this surname also fell during this period from 560 to 524 — a reduction of 6.43 percent. This indicates that fewer people carried the Picken surname in 2010 than in 2000, decreasing its proportion per 100,000 people from 0.21 to 0.18.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37,429 | #41,501 | -10.88% |
| Count | 560 | 524 | -6.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.18 | -14.29% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Picken
Regarding ethnicity, based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of people with the Picken surname identify as White, with 89.12 percent in 2010, down slightly from 89.29 percent in 2000. Those identifying as Black made up the second largest group, but their share decreased from 8.57 percent in 2000 to 7.06 percent in 2010. There was an increase in those identifying with two or more races, rising from 0.89 percent in 2000 to 2.10 percent in 2010. Additionally, the percentage of individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a small rise from 0.89 percent in 2000 to 0.95 percent in 2010. There were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.29% | 89.12% | -0.19% |
| Black | 8.57% | 7.06% | -17.62% |
| Two or More Races | 0.89% | 2.1% | 135.96% |
| Hispanic | 0.89% | 0.95% | 6.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |