Show ContentsEchemint History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Echemint is a name whose ancestors lived among the Picts, a tribe in ancient Scotland. The Echemint family lived in Lanarkshire. But the origins of the Echemint surname are still unclear. Some suggest that the name came from the Old English Aecemann, meaning "oak-man." Family lore has it that an officer commanding troops besieging Macbeth in Dunsinan Castle ordered his men to march in attack with branches of oak; the officer then became known as the "oak-man." 1

Early Origins of the Echemint family

The surname Echemint was first found in the counties of Fifeshire and Forfarshire, in Scotland. It is said that Akeman commanded MacBeth's troops in the siege of Dunsinane Castle and ordered the attack in 1057. One of the earliest records for the name was Alisaundre Akeman who swore an oath of allegiance to King Edward I in 1296. "The tombs of ten John Aikmans are said to be in Arbroath Abbey." 1

Early History of the Echemint family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Echemint research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1575, 1682, 1707 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Echemint History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Echemint Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Echemint has been spelled Aikman, Akeman, Aichman, Aykman, Akman, Hekman and others.

Early Notables of the Echemint family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was William Aikman (1682-1731), Scottish portrait painter, born at Caerney, Forfarshire. "He was the only son of William Aikman, advocate, sheriff of Forfarshire, and a man of eminence at the Scottish...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Echemint Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Echemint family

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Echemint: Francis Aikman, who came to Virginia in 1669; Patrick Aikman, who came to Boston in 1715; William Aikman, who arrived in Boston in 1718; Ernest Akman who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750.



The Echemint 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: Sub robore virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue under strength.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook