Howkins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Howkins is ultimately derived from the Old French personal name Hu(gh)e, which came to Britain with the Normans. This name is a diminutive form, and uses the suffix 'kin', which had the meaning of 'little'. The patronymic form Howkins is by far the most common form of the name, and is found mostly in Leicester, England. In some cases the name no doubt evolved from the name Hawkins.

Early Origins of the Howkins family

The surname Howkins was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say perhaps even before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Howkins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Howkins research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1332, 1337, 1378 and 1873 are included under the topic Early Howkins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Howkins Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Howkins include Howkins, Howkin, Hewkin, Huckin, Hukin, Hukyns and others.

Early Notables of the Howkins family

Distinguished members of the family include

Bearers of Howkins and Hukins in Warwickshire and Leicestershire

Migration of the Howkins family to Ireland

Some of the Howkins 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.

Howkins migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Howkins or a variant listed above:

Howkins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Howkins, who was naturalized in Marine court, New York city in 1837
Thomas Howkins, who pledged an oath of allegiance in Philadelphia in 1859

Howkins migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Howkins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Howkins, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Swordfish" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 12th July 1859 1
Mr. Richard Howkins, (b. 1831), aged 43, English settler from Oxfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 1
Mrs. Dinah Howkins, (b. 1832), aged 42, English settler from Oxfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 1
Miss Jane Howkins, (b. 1852), aged 22, English settler from Oxfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 1
Mr. William Howkins, (b. 1854), aged 20, English settler from Oxfordshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Sussex" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th July 1874 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Howkins (post 1700) +

Heidi Howkins, American mountain climber and leader of a climb of K2 in 1998
Alun Howkins Ph.D., British Professor of Social History and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Sussex
Mike Howkins, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester

The Howkins 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: Toujours en avant
Motto Translation: Always on the go.

Citations +

New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html