Watkins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Wales 
  Ireland 


A product of the ancient Brythonic Celts of Wales, the name Watkins, is from the personal name Walter. The surname Watkins is derived from the pet form Wat, which is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin.

Early Origins of the Watkins family

The surname Watkins was first found in Breconshire (Welsh: Sir Frycheiniog), a traditional county in southern Wales, which takes its name from the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog (5th-10th centuries), where they held a family seat at Pennoyre from ancient times and early in the eleventh century branched to Llangorse in that same shire.

Early History of the Watkins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Watkins research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1653, 1660, 1665 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Watkins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Watkins Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Watkins has occasionally been spelled Watkins, Watkyns, Watkens, Watkin and others.

Early Notables of the Watkins family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

Watkins World Ranking

In the United States, the name Watkins is the 174th most popular surname with an estimated 136,785 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Watkins is ranked the 379th most popular surname with an estimated 124 people with that name. 2 And in Australia, the name Watkins is the 373rd popular surname with an estimated 9,872 people with that name. 3 New Zealand ranks Watkins as 307th with 1,990 people. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Watkins as 221st with 26,124 people. 5

Migration of the Watkins family to Ireland

Some of the Watkins 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.


Watkins migration to the United States +

In the 1800s and 1900s, many Welsh families left for North America, in search of land, work, and freedom. Those who made the trip successfully helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and the cultural heritage of both Canada and the United States. In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Watkins

Watkins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Watkins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Watkins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Watkins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Watkins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Watkins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Watkins migration to Australia +

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

Watkins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Watkins 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:

Watkins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Watkins migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13
Watkins Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Watkins (post 1700) +


The Watkins 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: Pen-aur-y-chalon Wir
Motto Translation: A golden head and true heart.


Suggested Readings for the name Watkins +
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