The Elkins surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 24,902 people carried this name — #1,426 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 11,800 people counted. That is up 4% from 23,953 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Elkins surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Elkin’.

His entry covers Elkin and Elkins.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 269 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

57 families named Elkins, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 336 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 25
North Carolina 17
Massachusetts 5
South Carolina 4
Vermont 3
Maine 1
Pennsylvania 1
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 239 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Elkins in American newspapers,
1908–1913.

Newspaper page from The Nebraska Advertiser carrying the name Elkins
The Nebraska Advertiser 1908-04-24
Newspaper page from The Columbus Commercial carrying the name Elkins
The Columbus Commercial 1908-05-10
Newspaper page from El Paso Herald carrying the name Elkins
El Paso Herald 1913-10-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Elkins in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

3,273 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Elkins. The most, 781, date from the 1940s. 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 South Australia, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 858
Victoria 750
South Australia 727
Queensland 599
Western Australia 147
Tasmania 139
ACT (Canberra) 44
Northern Territory 4

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

Who carried it

People named Elkins,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Luther Elkins
    Luther Elkins 1809–1885 · politician
  • William Lukens Elkins
    William Lukens Elkins 1832–1903 · businessperson
  • Stephen Benton Elkins
    Stephen Benton Elkins 1841–1911 · businessperson
  • Stephen Benton Elkins
    Stephen Benton Elkins 1841–1911 · businessperson
  • Hallie Davis Elkins
    Hallie Davis Elkins 1854–1933 · artist
  • William Elkins 1751–1798

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Elkins,
in the records of 6 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 States1,548 records

1,548 records of the Elkins name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 916
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 305
  • Other U.S. records 327
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Roger Lynn Elkins

    Born 1946; from Ft Gibson, Oklahoma. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John C. Elkins

    Born 1919 in Illinois. Enlisted 1942 at East St Louis; machinist from Jackson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the Helvetia from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,548 records for Elkins in the United States.

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

Australia95 records

95 records of the Elkins name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 30
  • Tasmanian Names Index 27
  • Other Australian records 38
  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 Henry Elkins

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Eleanor, arriving 1831; ticket of leave 1835. Native of Shaftesbury.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charles Elkins

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the James L Bogert, aged 35; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Elkins

    Gentlewoman of Toorak, Victoria; died 1981.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 95 records for Elkins 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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Canada37 records

37 records of the Elkins name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 16
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 9
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Emily Elkins

    Buried in 1975 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 72.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ronald John Elkins

    Died 1954 in Halifax, 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 Richard William Elkins

    Died in service in 1916.

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

Showing 3 of 37 records for Elkins in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. 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).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Elkins name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Jane Elkins

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 58.

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

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Elkins

    Royal West Kent Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 8 records for Elkins in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · 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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Elkins name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mark Allan Elkins

    Died 1962 in De Bilt.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Petrus Franciscus Elkins

    In the population register of Utrecht; born 1830 in London.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Elkins name in Belgium Belgian population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Pierre Francois Elkins

    In the population register of Aalst; priest, born 1830 in Londres Angleterre.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (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 Elkins.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Elkins 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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