Show ContentsHeakins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Heakins

What does the name Heakins mean?

The Heakins surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Edward. This surname was a diminutive form of Ede-kin. 1

Early Origins of the Heakins family

The surname Heakins was first found in Oxfordshire where as a forename Edekin Gomey was recorded in the HUndrtedorum Rolls of 1297. The same rolls included an entry for Joan Edekin. Later, Elena Edkynes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327. 2

"Ekins was the name of a gentle family owning, in the 17th and 18th centuries, Favell manor and other properties in Northamptonshire, which were sold in 1814 for £23,970." 3

Early History of the Heakins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heakins research. Another 190 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1279, 1300, 1321, 1327, 1598, 1600, 1693, 1702, 1730, 1749, 1766, 1768, 1781, 1782, 1791, 1809, 1855 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Heakins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heakins Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Heakins 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. The variations of the name Heakins include: Eakin, Eakins, Ekins, Ekin, Eaking, Heakins and many more.

Early Notables of the Heakins family

Distinguished members of the family include Jeffrey Ekins (d. 1791), Dean of Carlisle, a native of Barton-Seagrave, Northamptonshire, of which parish his father, the Rev. Jeffery Ekins, M.A., was rector. He received his education at Eton, whence in 1749 he was elected to King's College, Cambridge, where he obtained a fellowship. He married in 1766 Anne, daughter of Philip Baker, Esq. of Colston, Wiltshire, and sister of the wife of his brother, John Ekins, Dean of Salisbury. 4Admiral Sir Charles Ekins (1768-1855), son of Dr. Jeffery Ekins [q. v.], Dean of...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Heakins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heakins family to Ireland

Some of the Heakins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heakins family

Many 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 Heakins or a variant listed above: Jonathon Eakin, a merchant from Somerset, England, who arrived in Maryland in 1685; James Eakin made his home in the same state in 1759; Robert Eakin settled in New York in 1803.



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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