Show ContentsAdkison History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Adkison surname was patronymic name created from Atkin, a Middle English personal name, which was one of the many pet forms of Adam.

Early Origins of the Adkison family

The surname Adkison was first found in the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland where they held a family seat from ancient times long before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The name was derived from Atkin and Adkin.

Early History of the Adkison family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Adkison research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1702, 1861, 1890 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Adkison History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adkison Spelling Variations

The name Adkison, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Atkinson, Aitkinson, Atkenson, Aitkenson, Atkington, Attkinson and many more.

Early Notables of the Adkison family

More information is included under the topic Early Adkison Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Adkison Ranking

In the United States, the name Adkison is the 9,873rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Adkison family to Ireland

Some of the Adkison family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Adkison migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Adkison family, or who bore a variation of the surname Adkison were

Adkison Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elinor Adkison, who landed in Maryland in 1679 2
  • Sampson Adkison, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Adkison (post 1700) +

  • Kathleen Gemberling Adkison (1917-2010), nee Gemberling, American abstract painter
  • Peter D. Adkison (1993-2001), American founder and first CEO of Wizards of the Coast
  • James M. Adkison, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1927-33 3
  • D. O. Adkison, American politician, Member of California State Assembly, 1855-56, 1863 3
  • D. C. Adkison, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1928 3

USS Arizona
  • Mr. James Dillion Adkison, American Seaman First Class from Texas, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 4


The Adkison Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Esperance en Dieu
Motto Translation: Hope in God.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook