Show ContentsHankinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hankinson

What does the name Hankinson mean?

The generations and branches of the Hankinson family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Hankinson comes from the baptismal name John, which was originally derived from the diminutive Johan-kin.

"The English form was Jankin or Jenkin, but Hankin, introduced from the Low Countries, gradually naturalized itself, though it never became actually English. 'Hankin Booby was a common name for a clown': Chappell's English Songs. 'Thus for her love and loss poor Hankin dies, His amorous soul down flies.': Musarum Deliciae, 1655." 1

Early Origins of the Hankinson family

The surname Hankinson was first found in Somerset, where Alexander Henekyng was listed there 1 Edward III (in the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 2

The early London registry Rotuli Litterarum Clausarum in Turri Londinesi listed Hanekin de Fine and the Munimenta Gildhallæ Londoniensis listed Hanekyn Jocelyn. 1

The Latin form of the name, Hankynus was listed in Oxfordshire in 1285 and in Cheshire, Hanekyn de London was listed there in 1300. Willelmus filius Hamekin was found in Lincolnshire in 1232. 3

Again in Cheshire, Hondekin the Barbur was listed in the Assize Rolls in 1286 and later, Hugh Hankyn was in the Subsidy Rolls in 1327. In Sussex, Thomas Hamekyng was listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 3

Early History of the Hankinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hankinson research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1602, 1761, 1782 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Hankinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hankinson 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 Hankinson include Hankin, Hankins, Hanking, Hankinson, Hanken and others.

Early Notables of the Hankinson family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Samuel Hankinson...

Hankinson Ranking

In the United States, the name Hankinson is the 14,308th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


Hankinson 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 Hankinson or a variant listed above:

Hankinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Francis Hankinson, aged 26, who arrived in New York in 1812 5
  • George Hankinson traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1845

Hankinson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hankinson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Reuben Hankinson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 6

Hankinson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hankinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Hankinson, (b. 1788), aged 25, English clerk who was convicted in London, England for 14 years for embezzlement, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Hankinson (post 1700) +

  • Timothy Milledge "Tim" Hankinson (1955-2022), American soccer coach (1979-2019), NASL Coach of the Year in 2016
  • John Crimmins Hankinson, American banker
  • R. H. Hankinson, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from North Dakota, 1908 8
  • Henry Hankinson, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly, 1806-08, 1834 8
  • Deborah Hankinson, American Republican politician, Justice of Texas State Supreme Court; Elected 1998 8
  • Aaron Hankinson, American politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Sussex County, 1782-92 8
  • James Hankinson, Executive Vice-President of Canadian Pacific Ltd
  • Sir Walter Crossfield Hankinson, Australian born diplomat who served as the UK High Commissioner in Ceylon and British Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland

USS Indianapolis
  • Clarence Winfield Hankinson, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 9


The Hankinson 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: Vi et animo
Motto Translation: By strength and courage.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


Houseofnames.com on Facebook