Oakan Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Among the the peoples of ancient Scotland, the first to use the name Oakan were the Strathclyde- Britons. Oakan was a name for someone who lived in Lanarkshire.

Oakan Early Origins

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The surname Oakan was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow, where they originated in the old barony of Akyne. One of the first records of the name was Atkyn de Barr in 1340 and later in 1405 when named "John of Akyne, a Scottish merchant petitioned for the return of his ship and goods illegally seized in England" The name and all it's variants are double diminutives of Adam, formed from 'Ad,' the diminutive of Adam + 'kin'

Oakan Spelling Variations

Medieval Scottish names are rife with spelling variations. This is due to the fact that scribes in that era spelled according to the sound of words, rather than any set of rules. Oakan has been spelled Aitken, Aiken, Atkin, Atkins and others.

Oakan Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oakan research. Another 241 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1482, 1497, 1520, 1687, 1676, 1680 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Oakan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oakan Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 21 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oakan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oakan In Ireland

Some of the Oakan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 337 words (24 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Many Scots were left with few options other than to leave their homeland for the colonies across the Atlantic. Some of these families fought to defend their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. Others went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these families have recently been able to rediscover their roots through Clan societies and other Scottish organizations. Among them: Ann and Daniel Aiken who settled in New York State in 1811; David, Henry and Hugh Aiken settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1868 and 1880; John Aikens settled in New Orleans La. in 1821.

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: Robore et vigilantia
Motto Translation: Strength and vigilance.

Oakan Family Crest Products

Citations

^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ 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)

Other References

Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at Galveston Texas 1896-1951. National Archives Washington DC. Print.
Bell, Robert. The Book of Ulster Surnames. Belfast: Blackstaff, 1988. Print. (ISBN 10-0856404160).
Filby, P. William and Mary K Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index in Four Volumes. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8).
Weis, Frederick Lewis, Walter Lee Sheppard and David Faris. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 7th Edition. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0806313676).
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
Skene, William Forbes Edition. Chronicles of the Picts, Chronicles of the Scots and Other Early Memorials of Scottish History. Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House, 1867. Print.
Samuelsen, W. David. New York City Passenger List Manifests Index 1820 - 1824. North Salt Lake, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1986. Print.
Prebble, John. The Highland Clearances. London: Secker & Warburg, 1963. Print.
Chadwick, Nora Kershaw and J.X.W.P Corcoran. The Celts. London: Penguin, 1970. Print. (ISBN 0140212116).
Burke, Sir Bernard. Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry Including American Families with British Ancestry 2 Volumes. London: Burke Publishing, 1939. Print.
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The Oakan Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Oakan Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 31 August 2015 at 13:44.