Herbert Austin Aikins was born on March 1, 1867, in Toronto, Ontario, the son of the first dean of the Toronto Medical School.

He was a professor, clinical psychologist, author, and translator. After receiving an A.B. degree from the University of Toronto in 1887, Aikins became an instructor in philosophy at the University of Southern California. In 1891, he graduated from Yale University (Ph.D.) and began a series of one-year appointments at Yale, Trinity School, and Clark University. From 1894 until retirement in 1937, Aikins was a professor of philosophy, psychology, and mental hygiene at Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University.

In 1895, he married Amie Florence Dean (1865–1932). He died on November 13, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio.