Contents [hide]

Atkin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Atkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancestors of the name Atkin date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence the personal name Adam. Atkin is a diminutive which means son of Adam. 1 2 3

"There is no need of course to prove this, but it is interesting to note the following: 'Adam le Fullere,' a citizen of London, is twice referred to as Adekin le Fullere (1073, Hundred Rolls)." 4

Early Origins of the Atkin family

The surname Atkin was first found in Norfolk where the name first appeared as a forename: Adekin filius Turst, in the Pipe Rolls of 1191. Later records show John Adekyn in Crowland, Cambridgeshire in 1296; William Atkyns in the Subsidy Rolls in Worcestershire in 1327; and John Adekynes in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 3

We find the first records of the family using the "E" prefix in Oxfordshire where Edekin Gomey was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. The same rolls also included an entry for Joan Edekin. Elena Edyknes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 3

Norfolk records show Geoffrey Adekyn there 10 Richard II (during the tenth year of Kind Richard II's reign.) 5 Again in Somerset, we found William Adekyn, 1 Edward III. 6

"Though not of early introduction it became well established in Ireland in the seventeenth century, especially in Cork where the Atkins family, who had come from Somerset, were prominent in the commercial life of the city; they also established themselves in the Youghal area." 7

"Atkins, Adkins. - A characteristic surname of the midland and eastern counties, being at present most relatively numerous in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Lincolnshire. Its place is taken in the north of England by Atkinson. These names are regarded as diminutives of Adam." 8

Early History of the Atkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atkin research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1191, 1296, 1379, 1558, 1559, 1564, 1581, 1587, 1601, 1610, 1615, 1621, 1626, 1630, 1635, 1647, 1662, 1665, 1669, 1670, 1674, 1677, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1689, 1698, 1703, 1709, 1711 and 1718 are included under the topic Early Atkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atkin Spelling Variations

Atkin has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Atkin have been found, including Adkin, Atkin, Atkins, Adekin, Adekyns, Adekyn, Adkins and many more.

Early Notables of the Atkin family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard Atkins (1559?-1581), English martyr, born at Ross in Herefordshire
Henry Atkins (1558-1635), English physician, born in 1558, son of Richard Atkins of Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire
William Atkins (1601-1681), an English Jesuit

Atkin Ranking

In the United States, the name Atkin is the 10,677^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Atkin family to Ireland

Some of the Atkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atkin migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Atkins to arrive on North American shores:

Atkin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samson Atkin, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 10
John Atkin, who landed in Virginia in 1645 10

Atkin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Atkin, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 10
John Atkin, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1734 10
Thomas Atkin, who arrived in Maryland in 1766 10

Atkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. James Atkin, aged 20, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Cynosure" in 1863

Atkin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Atkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Atkin, British Convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Miss Jane Atkin who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 20th November 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. Thomas Atkin, British convict who was convicted in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. William Atkin, (Aitkins), (b. 1784), aged 52, English labourer who was convicted in Kesteven, Lincolnshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1853 14
Miss Margaret Atkin, English convict who was convicted in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England for 15 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Atkin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Atkin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Atkin, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Barque Tuscan
Mr. Atkin, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Tuscan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th September 1842 16
William Atkin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1861
Miss Mary Elizabeth Atkin, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 13th October 1863 17
James Atkin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Empress" in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Atkin (post 1700) +

Arthur Oliver "A.O.L." Lonsdale Atkin (1925-2008), British-American computational number theorist, co-developer of the Atkin-Lehner theory and the Sieve of Atkin
Jerry Atkin (b. 1949), American CEO of Skywest Airlines
Jeffery Ralph Atkin (b. 1943), American businessman, SkyWest Airlines founder
Thomas R. Atkin, American politician, Candidate in primary for Mayor of Tooele, Utah, 1989 18
Jack Atkin (b. 1883), English footballer from Newhall, Derbyshire
John Michael Atkin (1948-2008), English footballer from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire
Thomas "Tommy" Lowes Atkin (1906-1986), English footballer
Victoria Atkin (b. 1986), English actress best known for playing the character Jason Costello in the British soap opera Hollyoaks and Hollyoaks Later
Paul Anthony Atkin (b. 1969), former English footballer
Harvey Atkin (1942-2017), Canadian voice actor, known for his Genie nominated work on Meatballs (1979)
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Atkin family +

Empress of Ireland

Miss Martha Jane Atkin (1890-1914), Canadian Second Class Passenger from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 19

The Atkin 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: Vincit cum legibus arma
Motto Translation: He wins over violence with laws

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html