Filekins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Filekins was a patronymic surname, created from a form of the medieval personal name Philip. It was also a habitational name from a place name in Oxfordshire. Forms of the name such as de Filking(es) are found in this region from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Early Origins of the Filekins family

The surname Filekins was first found in Oxfordshire at Filkins is a village in the civil parish of Filkins and Broughton Poggs. The village dates back to the 12th century when it was listed as Filching. The place name probably means "settlement of the family or followers of a man called Filica," from the Old English personal name + "-ingas." 1 However, the first record of the surname was found in Cheshire in the 13th century when Filkin family held estates there at that time.

Early History of the Filekins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Filekins research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1045, 1424, 1453, 1455, 1487, 1505, 1510, 1535, 1549, 1583 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Filekins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Filekins Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Filekins include Filkin, Filkyn, Fylkin, Fulkin, Fulkyn, Filkins, Philkin, Phylkin, Filken, Felkin and many more.

Early Notables of the Filekins family

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

Migration of the Filekins family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Filekins or a variant listed above: a Robert Philkyn, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 as a British emigrant. Owen, Peter, and Robert Filkin all received land grants in Virginia between 1656 and 1713. Also, a J.H. Filkin arrived by ship in San Francisco in 1852..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)