The surname Okenhead was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by an ancient Scottish people called the Strathclyde-
Britons. It was a name for someone who lived in a barony in
Lanarkshire where one of the first records was dates to 1372, when Robert II granted the lands of "Akynheuide" in Lanark to John de Maxwell in 1372. Convallus de Akinhead was recorded as witness to another land grant in the same year.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)Early Origins of the Okenhead family
The surname Okenhead was first found in
Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) at the barony of Aikenhead in the central Strathclyde region of
Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North
Lanarkshire, South
Lanarkshire and the City of Glasgow. One of the first official references to the family was in 1296 when Gilbert de L'Akenheued of Lanark rendered homage to
King Edward I of
England.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Early History of the Okenhead family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Okenhead research.
Another 435 words (31 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1376, 1444, 1489, 1676, 1697, 1673, 1699, 1676 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Okenhead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Okenhead Spelling Variations
Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval
Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document.
Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Okenhead has been spelled Aikenhead, Akenhead, Akynhead, Akynheued, Aikkenhead, Achenhead and many more.
Early Notables of the Okenhead family (pre 1700)
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Okenhead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Okenhead family to the New World and Oceana
Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of
Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them: Elizabeth Achenhed who settled in Jamaica in 1774.
The Okenhead 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: Rupto robore nati
Motto Translation: We are born with weakened strength.