Show ContentsAikin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Aikin

What does the name Aikin mean?

A family of Strathclyde-Briton were the first to use the name Aikin. They 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 Aikin family

The surname Aikin 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 Aikin family

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

Aikin Spelling Variations

In the era before dictionaries, there were no rules governing the spelling or translation of names or any other words. Consequently, there are an enormous number of spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names. Aikin has appeared as Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.

Early Notables of the Aikin family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Arthur 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...
  • Charles Rochemont Aikin (1775-1847), doctor and chemist, was the second son of John Aikin, M.D., and was born at Warrington in 1775
  • John Aikin (1713-1780), scholar and theological tutor, was born in 1713, in London, where his father, a native of Scotland, had been for some years settled in business. He was placed for a short time...

Aikin Ranking

In the United States, the name Aikin is the 18,838th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Aikin family to Ireland

Some of the Aikin 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.


Aikin migration to the United States +

The freedom, opportunity, and land of the North American colonies beckoned. There, Scots found a place where they were generally free from persecution and where they could go on to become important players in the birth of new nations. Some fought in the American War of Independence, while others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these Scottish settlers have been able to recover their lost national heritage in the last century through highland games and Clan societies in North America. Among them:

Aikin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Abel Aikin, who arrived in New York in 1804 4
  • David Aikin, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1807 4
  • John Aikin, aged 36, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
  • Joseph Aikin, aged 29, who landed in Delaware in 1812 4
  • John Aikin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Aikin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Aikin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Charles Aikin, who settled in St. John Island in 1775
  • William Aikin, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1775

Aikin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Aikin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Aikin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Aikin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Titus Aikin, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Aikin (post 1700) +

  • Dow Aikin, American politician, Dry Candidate for Delegate to Ohio convention to ratify 21st amendment, 1933 7
  • A. M. Aikin, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State Senate 1st District, 1992 7
  • A. M. Aikin Jr. (1905-1981), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives, 1933-37; Member of Texas State Senate, 1937-79 7
  • Charles Rochemont Aikin (1775-1847), English doctor and chemist, from Warrington, the second son of John Aikin, M.D 8
  • Edmund Aikin (1780-1820), English architect, from Warrington, the youngest son of John Aikin, M.D 8
  • John Aikin (1713-1780), English scholar and theological tutor, born in London where his father, a native of Scotland, had been for some years settled in business 8
  • John Aikin (1747-1822), English physician and author, son of the John Aikin, born at Kibworth 8
  • Lucy Aikin (1781-1864), English historical writer who also published under the pseudonym Mary Godolphin 8
  • Arthur Aikin FLS, FGS (1773-1854), English chemist, mineralogist and scientific writer, founding member of the Chemical Society (now the Royal Society of Chemistry)


The Aikin 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.


  1. 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)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  8. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019


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