Hekman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The ancient Pictish-Scottish family that first used the name Hekman lived in Lanarkshire. But the origins of the Hekman 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 Hekman family

The surname Hekman 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 Hekman family

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

Hekman Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Hekman has been spelled Aikman, Akeman, Aichman, Aykman, Akman, Hekman and others.

Early Notables of the Hekman 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 Hekman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hekman migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Hekman:

Hekman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Geertje Hekman, aged 12, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
Geesje Hekman, aged 39, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 2
Gerrit Hekman, aged 5, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
Hendrik Hekman, aged 7, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 2
Hendrik Jan Hekman, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hekman (post 1700) +

Randall J. Hekman, American Republican politician, Candidate for Circuit Judge in Michigan 17th Circuit, 1978; Candidate in primary for U.S. Senator from Michigan, 2012 3

The Hekman 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.

Citations +

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)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html