# Wilkens (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/wilkens/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | English |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 4,086 |
| US rank (2010) | 8,114 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 75,562 people |
| Change since 2000 | +3.3% (3,954 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Variant of Wilkin, from a Middle English pet form of William + patronymic suffix -s.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Wilkens in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 85% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 9.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Wilkens in the United States.

## People named Wilkens

- Lenny Wilkens, American basketball player and coach (1937–2025)

## Similar surnames

Wilkins, Wilson, Wilkinson, Willson, Wilken, Wilkin, Wolken, Wilkening, Willison, Welcome, Wilczynski, Wohlgemuth.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.