The Durkin surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,975 people carried this name — #4,448 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 37,000 people counted. That is up 5% from 7,576 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Durkin surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Mac Duarcáin (“son of Duarcán”), a personal name from a diminutive of duairc (“surly, morose”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Durkin» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In national population registers

20 people named Durkin is counted in Slovenia.

Slovenia counts its residents on 1 January 2026.

Counted, by country

Slovenia (2026) 20

Source: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SURS), SiStat tables 05X1015S–05X1018S, family names of the population, 1 January 2026 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Durkin in American newspapers,
1898–1926.

Newspaper page from Douglas Daily Dispatch carrying the name Durkin
Douglas Daily Dispatch 1926-01-21
Newspaper page from The Scranton Tribune carrying the name Durkin
The Scranton Tribune 1898-01-17
Newspaper page from Americus Times-recorder carrying the name Durkin
Americus Times-recorder 1925-11-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 18,277 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Durkin in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

5,207 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Durkin. The most, 1,321, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,054
Queensland 1,186
Western Australia 671
Victoria 639
Tasmania 326
South Australia 292
ACT (Canberra) 30
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Durkin.

Who carried it

People named Durkin,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Tom Durkin
    Tom Durkin 1853–1902 · cartoonist
  • James Durkin
    James Durkin 1876–1934 · actor
  • James Durkin
    James Durkin 1879–1934 · actor
  • Douglas Durkin
    Douglas Durkin 1884–1967 · screenwriter
  • Martin Patrick Durkin
    Martin Patrick Durkin 1894–1955 · politician
  • Patrick Durkin d. 2020 · banker

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Durkin,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,074 records

2,074 records of the Durkin name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 705
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 427
  • Other U.S. records 942
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Richard W. Durkin

    Born 1914 in New Jersey. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Upton Yaphank, New York; auto mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1976, buried at Bath National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Durkin

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; servant. From Charlestown, Ireland; bound for Montana.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph William Durkin

    Born 1945; from Stratford, Connecticut. U.S. Marine Corps, automotive mechanic; died in an accident 1966 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,074 records for Durkin in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia238 records

238 records of the Durkin name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 108
  • Tasmanian Names Index 56
  • Other Australian records 74
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Patrick Durkin

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Layton, sailing from Sheerness in 1835. Native of Mayo. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1844.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Norah M. Durkin

    Arrived in Queensland in 1908 aboard the Orotava, aged 2.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Raymond Durkin

    Businessman of Mooroolbark, Victoria; died 1981.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 238 records for Durkin in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom25 records

25 records of the Durkin name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • Stirling Council burial records 9
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Durkin

    Died 1996, aged 79; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Durkin

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 36.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Durkin

    Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Durkin in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada12 records

12 records of the Durkin name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Fredrick Durkin

    Buried in 1909 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Bridget Durkin

    Died 1952 in Sydney River, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Michael James Durkin

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 12 records for Durkin in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Durkin name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Brendan Durkin

    In the population register of Darwin (Gb); student, born 1916 in Darwin (Gb).

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Durkin.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Durkin is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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