Akins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Some say the name is ultimately derived from the Hebrew word "adama," meaning earth. There is also a place name, Akin, in the western Scotland, on the Hebridean Isle of Skye in the ancient territories of Dalriada. It was here, in the 13th century, that the Viking leader, King Hakon IV of Norway, stealthily crept with his invading army in a fleet of longboats, on his way to defeat at the hands of the Scottish king, Alexander III, at the Battle of Largs in 1263 A.D. This area is home to the Village of Kyle Akin, and is also the site of Dun Akin (Dunakin) castle, a 12th century fortress, long held by the MacKinnon clan.
Early Origins of the Akins family
The surname Akins 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, at the old barony of Akyne in that shire.
Early History of the Akins family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Akins research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1482, 1497, 1520, 1597, 1650 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Akins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Akins Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.
Early Notables of the Akins family
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Akins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Akins Ranking
In the United States, the name Akins is the 1,556th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 1
Migration of the Akins family to Ireland
Some of the Akins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Akins migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Akins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Thomas Akins, who arrived in South Carolina in 1674 2
Akins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- William Akins, who landed in North Carolina in 1749 2
Akins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Agnes Akins, aged 23, who arrived in America, in 1901
- Margaret Akins, aged 52, who arrived in America, in 1901
- C. R. Akins, aged 26, who arrived in America, in 1909
- Effie M. Akins, aged 28, who arrived in America, in 1911
- Joseph Akins, aged 56, who arrived in America, in 1917
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Akins (post 1700) +
- Willie Akins (1939-2015), American jazz saxophonist
- Virgil "Honeybear" Akins (1928-2011), American boxer, the undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World in 1958
- Rhett Akins (b. 1969), American country singer-songwriter, best known for his song "Don't Get Me Started" (1996)
- Claude Akins (1926-1994), American actor, best known for his role as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series B. J. and the Bear
- Frank Akins (1919-1992), American NFL football running back for the Washington Redskins
- Zöe Akins (1886-1958), American Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, poet, and author
- Kathleen Akins, American philosopher
- Chris Akins (b. 1976), American football player
- Marty Akins, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Texas State Comptroller, 2002 3
- James Elmer Akins (1926-2010), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1973-75 3
- ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html