Firkins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Firkins dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived as dwellers at the bay or wide valley. The surname Firkins was primarily located at Chapel-le-Frith, a market-town and parish, and the head of a union, in the hundred of High Peakin in Derbyshire. 1

The town dates back to 1272, when it was known as Capella de la Firth, and meant "chapel in the sparse woodland." 2

Early Origins of the Firkins family

The surname Firkins was first found in Derbyshire at Chapel-En-Le-Frith. One of the first records of the family was Wlimar Frith who appeared in the Pipe Rolls for Kent in 1195. A few years later, John del Frith was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1201 and later, William in the Frith was listed in Essex in 1276. 3

Richard de la Fryth, was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 in Norfolk. 4

Early History of the Firkins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Firkins research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1317, 1503, 1533, 1584, 1659, 1699, 1700 and 1941 are included under the topic Early Firkins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firkins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Firkins have been found, including Frith, Fryth, Firkin and others.

Early Notables of the Firkins family

Notables of the family at this time include Richard le Frith; Mary Frith or Moll Cutpurse (c.1584-1659), a notorious pickpocket and fence of the English underworld; and John Frith or Fryth (1503-1533)...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Firkins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firkins Ranking

In the United States, the name Firkins is the 18,713^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Firkins family to Ireland

Some of the Firkins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Firkins migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Firkins, or a variant listed above:

Firkins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Firkins, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
A. Firkins, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1894

Firkins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Arthur James Firkins, aged 34, who settled in America from London, in 1903
Alfred Firkins, aged 21, who landed in America from Upper Arjche, in 1906
Albert Samuel Firkins, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from Swindon, England, in 1911
Ruth Firkins, aged 23, who settled in New York City, N.Y., in 1912
Oscar W. Firkins, aged 49, who settled in Minneapolis, Minn, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Firkins migration to Australia +

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

Firkins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Firkins, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Firkins (post 1700) +

Seth Firkins (1981-2017), American audio engineer
Michael Lee Firkins (b. 1967), American Edison Award winning electric guitar player
Tim Firkins, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1980 8
Christine Lynn Firkins (b. 1983), Canadian deaf actress, best known for her role as Drew in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) and the XFiles (2000)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html