First composed in the countryside now known as
Wales, the ancient name of Watkenson began its life as a name for a the
personal name Walter. The surname Watkenson is derived from the pet form Wat, which is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -kin and the
patronymic suffix -son, which superseded other patronymic suffixes during the 14th century.
Early Origins of the Watkenson family
The surname Watkenson was first found in
Yorkshire, at Beeston and Ilkley where they held a
family seat from ancient times undoubtedly related to the
Welsh Watkins of Pennoyre in Breconshire.
Early History of the Watkenson family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Watkenson research.
Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1665 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Watkenson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Watkenson Spelling Variations
Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of
Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of
spelling variations. These
spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many
Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the
Brythonic Celtic language of the
Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Watkenson name over the years has been spelled Watkinson, Watkisson, Watkynson, Wattkinson, Waytkinson, Waytekinson, Waitkinson, Watkenson and many more.
Early Notables of the Watkenson family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Watkenson Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Watkenson family to the New World and Oceana
Many
Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many
Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those
Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Watkenson:
Watkenson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Cor Watkenson, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)