Aikhan Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The Aikhan family saga is rooted in the people of the Pictish Clan of ancient Scotland. The Aikhan family lived in Lanarkshire. But the origins of the Aikhan surname are still unclear. Some suggest that the name came from the Old English Aecemann, meaning "oak-man." Family lore has it that an officer commanding troops besieging Macbeth in Dunsinan Castle ordered his men to march in attack with branches of oak; the officer then became known as the "oak-man."

Aikhan Early Origins

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The surname Aikhan was first found in the counties of Fifeshire and Forfarshire, in Scotland. It is said that Akeman commanded MacBeth's troops in the siege of Dunsinane Castle and ordered the attack in 1057. One of the earliest records for the name was Alisaundre Akeman who swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I in 1296. "The tombs of ten John Aikmans are said to be in Arbroath Abbey."

Aikhan Spelling Variations

Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name Aikhan include Aikman, Akeman, Aichman, Aykman, Akman, Hekman and others.

Aikhan Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aikhan research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1682 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Aikhan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aikhan Early Notables (pre 1700)

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

The Great Migration

The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Aikhan: Francis Aikman, who came to Virginia in 1669; Patrick Aikman, who came to Boston in 1715; William Aikman, who arrived in Boston in 1718; Ernest Akman who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750.

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: Sub robore virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue under strength.

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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)

Other References

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Glasgow: Harper Collins, 1995. Print.
Catholic Directory For Scotland. Glasgow: Burns Publications. Print.
Burke, John Bernard Ed. The Roll of Battle Abbey. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Skene, William Forbes Edition. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House, 1867. Print.
Scarlett, James D. Tartan The Highland Textile. London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1990. Print. (ISBN 0-85683-120-4).
Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1970. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Magnusson, Magnus. Chambers Biographical Dictionary 5th edition. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers, 1990. Print.
Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
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).
Hinde, Thomas Ed. The Domesday Book England's Heritage Then and Now. Surrey: Colour Library Books, 1995. Print. (ISBN 1-85833-440-3).
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The Aikhan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Aikhan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 31 August 2015 at 13:22.