Show ContentsBurkens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Burkens is a habitational name from the civil parish of West Birkin in West Yorkshire. The parish still exists today but remains small with a population of 146 in 2001.

Early Origins of the Burkens family

The surname Burkens was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was John de Birkin who held lands there in the time of King John.

Birkin is a parish, in the Lower division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1

Barking is a large parish, and formerly a market-town, in the union of Romford, hundred of Becontree, South division of Essex. "The name of this place, formerly written Berking, is by some deduced from the Saxon words Beorce, a birch-tree, and Ing, a meadow; by others from Berg-Ing, signifying a fortification in the meadows, probably from an ancient intrenchment about a quarter of a mile on the road to Ilford, of which there are still considerable vestiges. The town derived its early importance from a very extensive and distinguished abbey, founded in 670, by Erkenwald, Bishop of London, for nuns of the Benedictine order, and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was governed by a long succession of abbesses. Soon after the Conquest, William retired to the town, till the completion of the Tower of London. " 1

There is a small parish named Barking in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, E. division of Suffolk. 1

Richard be Barking (d. 1246), was an early English judge who was for some years Prior of the Abbey of Westminster. 2

Early History of the Burkens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burkens research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1394, 1415, 1487, 1510, 1600, 1831, 1922 and 1953 are included under the topic Early Burkens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burkens Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Byrkin, Birkin, Byrken, Birkyn, Byrkyn, Birken and others.

Early Notables of the Burkens family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Burkens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Burkens family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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