Wilckens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

The name Wilckens was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Norman personal name William, which is derived from the words will, meaning resolution and helm, meaning armed. ^[1] ^[2]

Early Origins of the Wilckens family

The surname Wilckens was first found in Glamorganshire where they held a family seat from early times. They were descended from Robert de Wintona, one of twelve knights who came into Glamorgan with Robert Fitzhamon, a Norman noble, in 1066. Fitzhamon was Sheriff of Kent and founder of Tewkesbury.

The Pipe Rolls for Northumberland list the name Wilechm in 1166 and later Wilekinus was found in the Hampshire Pipe Rills for 1191. Richard Wilekin was found in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire in 1180 and William Wilekin in the Curia Regis Rolls for London in 1220. Roger Wylkyns was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1327. ^[3]

Early History of the Wilckens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilckens research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1558, 1614, 1672, 1668, 1625, 1626, 1699, 1618, 1685, 1745, 1601, 1603, 1614 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Wilckens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilckens Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Wilkins, Wilkin, Wilkines, Wilkyn, Wilking and others.

Early Notables of the Wilckens family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Wilkins FRS (1614-1672), an English clergyman, natural philosopher and author, founder of the Invisible College and one of the founders of the Royal Society, Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death. Thomas Wilkins (1625 or 1626-1699), was a Welsh cleric and antiquarian; and George Wilkins (died 1618), was an English dramatist and pamphleteer best known for his probable collaboration with Shakespeare on the play Pericles, Prince of Tyre. An inn-keeper by profession, he may have been involved in criminal activities. David Wilkins (1685-1745), was an English...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wilckens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilckens migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Wilckens name or one of its variants:

Wilckens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christian Wilckens, who landed in America in 1780 ^[4]

Wilckens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jacob Frederick Wilckens, who arrived in New York, NY in 1831 ^[4]

The Wilckens 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: Estote prudentes
Motto Translation: Be ye prudent.

Citations +

^ Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
^ Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ 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)