Junkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

The Junkin surname has long been associated with Wales. This surname comes from the personal names Jen, Jan, and Jon, which are all forms of the name John. The surname Junkin also features the diminutive suffix -kin, which is commonly held to have been brought to Britain from the Netherlands as early as the 12th century, when it is found as a component of the surnames of some Flemish settlers. Generally, the Jenkin variant of this name came from the Devon-Cornwall region.

Early Origins of the Junkin family

The surname Junkin was first found in "South Wales and Monmouthshire, where it is very numerous. Like other Welsh names it has spread itself to the southward and eastward, though not nearly to the extent of some of the other common names of the Principality."

"The usual explanation that Jenkins is a name of Flemish type, probably introduced by the Flemings who settled in numbers in South Wales in the reign of Henry I., is to some extent supported by the fact that the great home of the name is now in South Wales and Monmouthshire. It is singular, however, that the name, usually as Jenkin, should be numerous in Cornwall. Cornwall is very Welsh with reference to some of its most frequent names, such as Roberts, Phillips, Williams, Richards, Thomas, Jenkin, Harris, James, &c., which, in the intervening counties of Devon and Somerset are usually much less numerous. This close resemblance in family nomenclature between two isolated regions that possess a similar racial history is very remarkable." 1

Early History of the Junkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Junkin research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1460, 1582, 1597, 1600, 1602, 1609, 1622, 1623, 1625, 1641, 1663, 1685, 1722, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Junkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Junkin Spelling Variations

Although there are not an extremely large number Welsh surnames, there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations of those surnames. This variety of spellings began almost immediately after the acceptance of surnames within Welsh society. As time progressed, these old Brythonic names were eventually were recorded in English. This process was problematic in that many of the highly inflected sounds of the native language of Wales could not be properly captured in English. Some families, however, did decide to modify their own names to indicate a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even a patriotic affiliation. The name Junkin has seen various spelling variations: Jenkins, Jenkin, Jankins, Jenkynn, Jenkynns, Jenkyns, Jinkines, Jinkins, Jenkens, Junkin, Junkins and many more.

Early Notables of the Junkin family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was David Jenkins (1582-1663), Welsh judge and Royalist, "the son of Jenkin Richard of Hensol, in the parish of Pendeulwyn, Glamorganshire, where he was born in 1582. He became a commoner of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, in 1597, and took the degree of B.A. 4...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Junkin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Junkin family to Ireland

Some of the Junkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Junkin migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Junkin:

Junkin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ann Junkin, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792 2

Junkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Junkin, aged 18, who landed in South Carolina in 1812 2
John Junkin, aged 24, who arrived in South Carolina in 1812 2
Samuel Junkin, aged 30, who landed in South Carolina in 1812 2
James Junkin, who landed in Mississippi in 1856 2
Thomas James Junkin, who arrived in Mississippi in 1875 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Junkin (post 1700) +

Benjamin Franklin Junkin (1822-1908), Republican United States Representative from Pennsylvania
Michael Wayne Junkin (b. 1964), former American NFL football linebacker
Rev. George Junkin D. D., LL. D. (1790-1868), American educator and Presbyterian minister
Abner Kirk "Trey" Junkin III (b. 1961), former American NFL football tight end
John Junkin, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Mississippi, 2000 3
J. E. Junkin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Florida, 1924 3
George C. Junkin, American politician, Delegate to Nebraska State Constitutional Convention, 1919-20 3
Charles M. Junkin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1896, 1900 3
Benjamin Franklin Junkin (1822-1908), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 16th District, 1859-61; State Court Judge in Pennsylvania, 1871 3
Joseph Brian Junkin (b. 1946), retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey goaltender
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html