Aikens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The chronicles of the Aikens family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived in Lanarkshire. The name and all it's variants are double diminutives of Adam, formed from 'Ad,' the diminutive of Adam + 'kin' 1

Early Origins of the Aikens family

The surname Aikens was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they originated in the old barony of Akyne. Some of the first records of the name were Atkyn de Barr in 1340 2 and later in 1405, "John of Akyne, a Scottish merchant petitioned for the return of his ship and goods illegally seized in England." 1

Early History of the Aikens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aikens research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1482, 1497, 1520, 1558, 1559, 1581, 1601, 1613, 1631, 1635, 1642, 1653, 1654, 1676, 1679, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1687, 1703, 1713, 1744, 1757, 1773, 1775, 1780, 1847 and 1854 are included under the topic Early Aikens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aikens Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Aikens has been spelled Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.

Early Notables of the Aikens family

Notable amongst the family at this time was James Aitkine, Atkins or Etkins (1613?-1687), Scottish prelate, Bishop of Moray (1676), Bishop of Galloway (1680-1687.) He was born at Kirkwall about 1613, was the son of Harie Atkine, Sheriff of Orkney. 3Arthur Aikin (1773-1854), chemist and scientific writer, was the eldest son of John Aikin, M.D., and was thus the brother of Lucy Aikin and nephew of Mrs. Barbauld. He was born at Warrington on 19 May 1773, and went at an early age to the free school there, and afterwards to Mr. Barbauld's school at Palgrave in Suffolk. 3Charles Rochemont Aikin...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aikens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aikens Ranking

In the United States, the name Aikens is the 5,245^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Aikens family to Ireland

Some of the Aikens family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 173 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aikens migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Aikens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Aikens, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 5
John Aikens, who settled in New Orleans La. in 1821
John Aikens, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
Bernard Aikens, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1853 5
Thomas and William Aikens, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876

Aikens migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Aikens Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Samuel Aikens U.E. (b. 1750) born in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA, United Empire Loyalist who arrived aboard the Apollo at Guysborough Township, [Guysborough County], Sydney County, Nova Scotia in 1784; he was part of the New York City Associated Loyalist Militia Companies and later died on December 20, 1826 in Guysborough, Nova Scotia 6
Mrs. Elizabeth Aikens U.E., (née Perry), (b. 1755), United Empire Loyalist who settled in Guysborough Township, [Guysborough County], Sydney County, Nova Scotia in 1784, married Samuel Aikens in Guysborough, Nova Scotia; she had 7 children, two from a previous marriage 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Aikens (post 1700) +

Johnnie S. Aikens (1914-1986), American Democratic Party politician who served in the Missouri House of Representatives
Carl Kenneth Aikens Jr. (b. 1962), American football wide receiver/defensive back who played from 1987 to 1994, AFL Ironman of the Year (1989), Arena Football Hall of Fame inductee (2000)
Willie Mays Aikens (b. 1954), American Major League Baseball first baseman who played from 1977 to 1985
Nicole H. Aikens, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 14th District, 2000 7
Joan D. Aikens (b. 1928), American Republican politician, Clothing fashion consultant; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1972 7
James P. Aikens, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1924 7
Frank R. Aikens (b. 1855), American politician, Justice of Dakota Territorial Supreme Court, 1889; District Judge in South Dakota, 1889-94. In 1891 7
Claude G. Aikens (1892-1966), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1932 (alternate), 1944 7
Charles Thomas Aikens (b. 1862), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1916; Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1916 7
Sir Richard John Pearson Aikens (b. 1948), English jurist, member of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Aikens 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: Robore et vigilantia
Motto Translation: Strength and vigilance.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html