Origins of the Atkinson surname

What does the name Atkinson mean?

Atkinson is an English patronymic name, thought to have arisen from 'Atkin' or 'Addy', both Middle English diminutive forms of 'Adam'. It is particularly prevalent in the north of the country, and is popular in Northern Ireland (thought to be brought across by the plantation of Ulster in the 1600s and 1700s. The name Adam is one of the most popular forenames of the medieval period, giving rise to the popularity of this patronymic.

Alternative variations of the name Atkinson

Atkinson, Atkinsone, Atkinsun, Aitkinson, Atkenson

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Delve deeper into the Atkinson family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 5880North West 1359Isle of Man 57Yorkshire 8240East Midlands 1325West Midlands 283East 613London 7920South East 1148South West 245South Wales 36Mid Wales 16West WalesNorth Wales 51Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Atkinsons lived in yorkshire

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

43,000 Atkinson Travel & migration records
300,000 Atkinsons found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Atkinson

How common is your surname?

102nd most common surname in the UK

We have for the Atkinson surname. The oldest one dates back to 1264.

Who were Atkinsons most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Atkinsons.

What are the most common Atkinson first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Atkinson family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Atkinsons

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Atkinsons in 1921

Dressmaker

1,338

Cotton Weaver

822

House Servant

627

Domestic Servant

624

General Servant Domestic

602

Common male occupations for Atkinsons in 1921

Farmer

1,492

Coal Miner

1,252

Joiner

1,051

Agricultural Labourer

946

General Labourer

904

We found over 380,000 family trees with the Atkinson surname

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