The English and Scottish surname of Atkinson comes from the name ‘Atkin’ which comes from the name ‘Adam’. The original Hebrew name of Adam means man or of mankind. The spelling variations for Atkinson include Aicheson, Atcok, Acheson, Aitchison and Aitcheson. In northern England the Atkinson surname is very popular in Westnorland and in Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, city of London and Cheshire counties. In Ireland the Atkinson surname is found in Ulster, Antrim and Down counties. In Scotland the surname is more commonly spelled as Aitchison and Acheson. Most Atkinson families live in Midlothian, Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire. Within the United States the Atkinson surname is scattered across most of the country. The states with the greatest numbers are New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, Washington, Colorado, California, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee and Arkansas. Famous: Bill Atkinson (professional baseball player), Ashlie Atkinson (actress), John A. Atkinson (18th century English artist and engraver), Rick Atkinson (journalist), Rowan Atkinson (English comic actor), James Atkinson (pioneer in the use of radar), Steve Atkinson (ice hockey player from Canada), Paul Atkinson (musician) and Juliette Atkinson (champion tennis player).