Show ContentsGwatkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Gwatkin Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Gwatkin

What does the name Gwatkin mean?

A product of the ancient Brythonic Celts of Wales, the name Gwatkin, is from the personal name Walter. The surname Gwatkin is derived from the pet form Wat, which is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin.

Early Origins of the Gwatkin family

The surname Gwatkin was first found in Breconshire (Welsh: Sir Frycheiniog), a traditional county in southern Wales, which takes its name from the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog (5th-10th centuries), where they held a family seat at Pennoyre from ancient times and early in the eleventh century branched to Llangorse in that same shire.

Early History of the Gwatkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gwatkin research. Another 45 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1653, 1660, 1665 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Gwatkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gwatkin Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Gwatkin has occasionally been spelled Watkins, Watkyns, Watkens, Watkin and others.

Early Notables of the Gwatkin family

Morgan Watkins (fl. 1653-1670), English Quaker from Herefordshire who was imprisoned in 1660 in St. Albans gaol and later twice in 1665. "He afterwards appears to have preached and been imprisoned in...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gwatkin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gwatkin family to Ireland

Some of the Gwatkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gwatkin migration to Australia+

Gwatkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • William Gwatkin, aged 39, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Mary Green" 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Gwatkin (post 1700)+

  • Henry Melvill Gwatkin (1844-1916), English theologian and church historian
  • Lt. General Sir Willoughby Garnons Gwatkin (1859-1925), Canadian Chief of the General Staff, head of the Canadian Army from 1913 to 1923

The Gwatkin 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: Pen-aur-y-chalon Wir
Motto Translation: A golden head and true heart.
  1. South Australian Register Monday 20 June 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARY GREEN 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marygreen1853.shtml

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