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![Show Contents]() Filken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The surname Filken was a patronymic surname, created from a form of the medieval personal name Philip. It was also a habitational name from a place name in Oxfordshire. Forms of the name such as de Filking(es) are found in this region from the 12th and 13th centuries. Early Origins of the Filken familyThe surname Filken was first found in Oxfordshire at Filkins is a village in the civil parish of Filkins and Broughton Poggs. The village dates back to the 12th century when it was listed as Filching. The place name probably means "settlement of the family or followers of a man called Filica," from the Old English personal name + "-ingas." 1 However, the first record of the surname was found in Cheshire in the 13th century when Filkin family held estates there at that time. Early History of the Filken familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Filken research. Another 165 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1045, 1424, 1453, 1455, 1487, 1505, 1510, 1535, 1549, 1583 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Filken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Filken Spelling VariationsIt is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Filken are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Filken include: Filkin, Filkyn, Fylkin, Fulkin, Fulkyn, Filkins, Philkin, Phylkin, Filken, Felkin and many more. Early Notables of the Filken familyMore information is included under the topic Early Filken Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Filken familyMany English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Filken or a variant listed above: a Robert Philkyn, who arrived in Barbados in 1635 as a British emigrant. Owen, Peter, and Robert Filkin all received land grants in Virginia between 1656 and 1713. Also, a J.H. Filkin arrived by ship in San Francisco in 1852..
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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