Attkins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The Strathclyde-Briton people of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Attkins. The Attkins family 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 Attkins family

The surname Attkins 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 Attkins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Attkins 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 Attkins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Attkins Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Attkins has been spelled Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.

Early Notables of the Attkins 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 Attkins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Attkins family to Ireland

Some of the Attkins 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.

Attkins migration to the United States +

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them:

Attkins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Attkins, (Atkins), who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Gift" 4
Richard Attkins, aged 24, who landed in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "London Merchant" 4
Mrs. Abigail Attkins, who landed in Virginia in 1624 aboard the Abigaile, servant to Captain William Pierce 4
Tho Attkins, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 4
John Attkins, who landed in Virginia in 1662 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Attkins 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
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)