The Harkins surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 11,662 people carried this name — #3,080 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 25,300 people counted. That is up 1% from 11,598 in 2000.

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In Scotland’s registers today

Harkins was recorded 39 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 655th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 56. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

19 families named Harkins, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 104 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 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

Pennsylvania 8
South Carolina 4
Vermont 2
Massachusetts 2
Connecticut 2
Maryland 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. 244 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Harkins in American newspapers,
1880–1907.

Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Harkins
The Salt Lake Herald 1907-06-23
Newspaper page from The Bolivar Bulletin carrying the name Harkins
The Bolivar Bulletin 1883-11-01
Newspaper page from The Bolivar Bulletin carrying the name Harkins
The Bolivar Bulletin 1880-11-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 48,796 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Harkins in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

3,192 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Harkins. The most, 508, date from the 1930s. 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 Victoria, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,186
Victoria 949
Queensland 478
South Australia 291
Western Australia 208
Tasmania 36
ACT (Canberra) 34
Northern Territory 7

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

Who carried it

People named Harkins,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George W. Harkins
    George W. Harkins 1810–1890
  • Daniel Harkins
    Daniel Harkins 1836–1902 · actor
  • Matthew Harkins
    Matthew Harkins 1845–1921 · Catholic priest
  • James W. Harkins, Jr.
    James W. Harkins, Jr. 1863–1910 · writer
  • William Draper Harkins
    William Draper Harkins 1873–1951 · chemist
  • Abram Harkins 1821–1896 · politician

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 Harkins,
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 States1,852 records

1,852 records of the Harkins name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 596
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 542
  • Other U.S. records 714
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John P. Harkins

    Born 1916 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1942 at Philadelphia; nursery from Montgomery County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edison Amos Harkins

    Born 1949; from Beverly Shores, Indiana. U.S. Army, infantryman; died of wounds 1970 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Harkins

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the England from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 22; laborer. From London, England; bound for New York.

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

Showing 3 of 1,852 records for Harkins in the United States.

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

Australia172 records

172 records of the Harkins name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 72
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 38
  • Other Australian records 62
  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 John Harkins

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Westmoreland, arriving 1835; certificate of freedom 1841.

    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 Magge Harkins

    Arrived in Victoria in 1887 aboard the Salier, aged 16; Scottish.

    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 William M. Harkins

    Gardener of Parkdale, Victoria; died 1943.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 172 records for Harkins in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · 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 Kingdom22 records

22 records of the Harkins name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 19
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martin Harkins

    Buried in 1934 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 74.

    Stirling Council. 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 J. Harkins

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

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Margaret Harkins

    Buried in 1952 at Kilmadock Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 59.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 22 records for Harkins in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

Canada19 records

19 records of the Harkins name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 13
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eleen Harkins

    Buried in 1972 at St. Mary's 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 Mary Harkins

    Died 1870 in Pictou, 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 John Harkins

    Died in service in 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 19 records for Harkins in Canada.

Counts: 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. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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).

France1 record

1 record of the Harkins name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Denis Michael Harkins

    Born 1940 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Saint-Tropez (Var).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Harkins.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Harkins 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.

See the Harkins volume
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