Daykyns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Daykyns was formed. The name was derived 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 Daykyns family

The surname Daykyns 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 Daykyns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daykyns 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 Daykyns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daykyns Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Daykyns include Dakin, Dakins, Dakyn, Daykin, Daykins, Daken, Deakin, Daikins, Daikyns, Daikin, Dayken, Daiken, Deakyn, Deake, Deaken and many more.

Early Notables of the Daykyns family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Rowland Dawkins (died 1691), a Welsh military colonel and politician, Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire (1654-1656.)William Dakins (d. 1607), was an English divine, conjectured to have been the son of William Dakins, M.A., vicar of Ashwell, Hertfordshire. 4James Dawkins (1722-1757), descended...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daykyns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Daykyns family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Daykyns were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Mr. Daken who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1766; Gilbert Dakins settled in Virginia in 1638; Thomas Dakin settled in Concord. Some members of the name settled in Newfoundland between 1850 and 1871..

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.