Show ContentsDakin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Dakin is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from the personal name David. Daw was a common diminutive of David in the Middle Ages. [1] [2]

The surname is a compound of daw and kin, and literally means "the kin of David." Over time there were changes in pronunciation and spelling, leading to many different variants of the name.

Early Origins of the Dakin family

The surname Dakin was first found in Norfolk at Docking, but strong evidence points to another possible origin of the family. "In the charter of endowment of Eton College, mention is made of the alien priory of Dokkyng, the monks whereof are supposed by Tanner to have belonged to the Abbey de Ibreio, in Normandy, to which this church was formerly appropriated. " [3]

Continuing this possible origin, we found Thomas of Docking (fl. 1250), a "Franciscan, is stated in the Royal MS. 3 B. xii. in the British Museum to have been really named 'Thomas Gude, i.e. Bonus,' but called 'Dochyng' from the place of his birth (Casley, Catalogue of the Manuscripts of the King's Library, p. 43, London, 1734), evidently the village of Docking in the north of the county of Norfolk. The same manuscript describes him as doctor of divinity at Oxford." [4]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 an early Latin entry for the family: Daykenus (without surname), in County Rutland. [5] A few years later, Daykin de Wich was recorded in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1290 and later again, Richard Deykin was recorded in Shropshire in 1344. [6]

In Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 had the following entries: Dakyn de Idsford; Johannes Dawkyn; and Henricus Daykyn. The latter entry was dated 1370. [5]

"The Dakins of Buxton and the Daykins of Alfreton possess an ancient Derbyshire name. The family of Dakeny or De Akeny followed William the Conqueror into England, and in the 13th century they were settled in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Bedfordshire, where they held possessions; in the 15th century they were established in Herts, Derbyshire, and Yorkshire; and in Derbyshire the Dakins owned lands in Chelmorton, Fairfield, and Wollow in the reign of Edward IV. " [7]

Early History of the Dakin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dakin research. Another 222 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1547, 1607, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1691, 1698, 1722, 1744, 1757, 1793 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Dakin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dakin Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Dakin has been spelled many different ways, including Dakin, Dakins, Dakyn, Daykin, Daykins, Daken, Deakin, Daikins, Daikyns, Daikin, Dayken, Daiken, Deakyn, Deake, Deaken and many more.

Early Notables of the Dakin family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • William Dakins (d. 1607), was an English divine, conjectured to have been the son of William Dakins, M.A., vicar of Ashwell, Hertfordshire. [4]


United States Dakin migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Dakins to arrive in North America:

Dakin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Dakin, who landed in Virginia in 1657 [8]
  • Thomas Dakin, who arrived in New England in 1660 [8]
Dakin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Dakin, who settled in Concord, Massachusetts
  • Joseph Dakin, who landed in America in 1860 [8]

Canada Dakin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dakin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Dakin U.E. (b. 1747) born in Quaker Hill, New York, USA from Pawling, Dutchess County, New York who settled in Trout Cove [Centreville], Dibgy, Nova Scotia c. 1783 he married twice having 8 children he died in 1828 [9]

Australia Dakin migration to Australia +

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

Dakin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Dakin, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [10]
  • Mr. Jonathan Dakin, (b. 1810), aged 26, English clerk who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1881 [11]
  • Richard Dakin, aged 27, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Indian" [12]
  • Richard Dakin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Indian" in 1849 [12]
  • Frances Dakin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Indian" in 1849 [12]

New Zealand Dakin 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:

Dakin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Charles Dakin, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Libertas" in 1856
  • Mary Dakin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Helenslee" in 1870 [13]

Contemporary Notables of the name Dakin (post 1700) +

  • Christine Dakin (b. 1949), American dancer, choreographer, and teacher
  • Janet Wilder Dakin (1910-1994), American philanthropist, zoologist, younger sister of author Thornton Wilder
  • James Harrison Dakin (1806-1852), American architect
  • Dorothy Danvers Dakin (1919-2009), English Headmistress of the Red Maids School, Bristol
  • William John Dakin (1883-1950), Australian (English born) zoologist
  • Henry Drysdale Dakin (1880-1952), English chemist
  • Walford Dakin Selby (1845-1889), English antiquary, the eldest son of Thomas Selby of Witley and Wimbush Hall, Essex

Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Vida Laurenia  Dakin (1896-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [14]
  • Mr. Charles  Dakin (1896-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [14]
  • Miss Dorothy M.  Dakin (1917-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) [14]


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. 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)
  9. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The INDIAN 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Indian.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance


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