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.
Early Origins of the Aitkins family
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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) and later in 1405, "John of Akyne, a Scottish merchant petitioned for the return of his ship and goods illegally seized in England."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) The name and all it's variants are double diminutives of Adam, formed from 'Ad,' the diminutive of Adam + 'kin'
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Early History of the Aitkins family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aitkins research.
Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1482, 1497, 1520, 1687, 1676, 1680, 1687, 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.
Aitkins Spelling Variations
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.
Early Notables of the Aitkins family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Aitkins Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Aitkins family to Ireland
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.
Migration of the Aitkins family to the New World and Oceana
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:
Aitkins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Ann Aitkins, who landed in Maryland in 1667 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
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 Aitkins 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.