It was in the Scottish/English Borderlands that the Strathclyde-Briton people first used the ancient name Aitkins. It was a name for someone who lived in Lanarkshire.
The surname Aitkins 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 [1] and later in 1405, "John of Akyne, a Scottish merchant petitioned for the return of his ship and goods illegally seized in England." [2] The name and all it's variants are double diminutives of Adam, formed from 'Ad,' the diminutive of Adam + 'kin' [2]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aitkins research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1482, 1497, 1520, 1744, 1773, 1613, 1687, 1676, 1680, 1687, 1613, 1654, 1613, 1642 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Aitkins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Aitkins has appeared as Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aitkins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Aitkins 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.
The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them: