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The generations and branches of the Hobkyns family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Hobkyns comes from the name Hobb, a pet form of the personal name Robert. This name was supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin. Thus, the original form of the surname Hobkyns was Hobbe-kin. 1
The surname Hobkyns was first found in Oxfordshire at Swalcliffe where a family of this name has resided since the 13th century and had nineteen proprietors who had the personal name of John. 1
However, the earliest record of the name was found in the Latin form of Hobekinus in the Curia Regis Rolls of Staffordshire in 1224. William Hobkyn and Richard Hobkyn were both listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, while the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire of the same year list William Hopkyn and John Hopkynes. 2
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Nicholas Hobekyn and Roger Hobekyn in Cambridgeshire and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Agnes Hobkyn-wyf. 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hobkyns research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1544, 1563, 1570, 1581, 1594, 1600, 1612, 1620, 1623, 1624, 1626, 1627, 1644, 1647, 1657, 1660, 1664, 1666, 1670, 1674, 1681, 1682, 1690, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hobkyns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hobkyns include Hopkins, Habbagan, Hopkin, Hopkines, Hopkyns and many more.
Notables of this surname at this time include: John Hopkins (d. 1570), part-translator, with Thomas Sternhold and others, of the famous metrical version of the Psalms, was admitted B.A. at Oxford in 1544. 4
Richard Hopkins (d. 1594?), was a Catholic exile, born of 'genteel parents,' and at about seventeen years of age became a commoner of St. Alban's Hall, Oxford, where he was residing in 1563. 4
Edward Hopkins (1600-1657), was an English colonist, politician, and Governor of the Connecticut Colony, founder of the New Haven and Connecticut colonies, politically active in the administration of Oliver Cromwell.
William Hopkins, was a British sheriff...
Another 154 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hobkyns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 182 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hobkyns or a variant listed above: Michael Hopkin settled in Barbados in 1654; Stephen Hopkins and his wife, Elizabeth, settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the year of the "Mayflower".