Contents [hide]

Jenkin History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Sources

Jenkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales
Ireland

Etymology of Jenkin

What does the name Jenkin mean?

The Jenkin surname is derived from the Middle English given name Jenkin, which was in turn created from a diminutive of the name John, with the suffix "kin," added to the name. Generally, the Jenkin variant of this name came from the Devon-Cornwall region.

Early Origins of the Jenkin family

The surname Jenkin was first found in Sussex where Richard Janekyn was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Other early records of the name include Richard Jenkins, listed in the Somerset Subsidy Rolls in 1327, William Jonkyn, recorded in the "Calendar of Inquisitiones post mortem" in 1297, Alicia Jonkyn, listed in the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379, well as William Jankins, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. 1

Early records in the parish of St. Columb, Cornwall note "Higher Trekyninge in the reign of Edward III. appears to have been in a divided state, between the Arundells and Hamleys. It was afterwards for several generations in the family of Jenkin, whose co-heiresses married St. Aubyn, Slanning, Carey, and Trelawney. It is now the property of Richard Rawe, Esq. The site on which the ancient mansion house stood, is supposed by Mr. Whitaker, from its name and concomitant circumstances, to have been the residence of an ancient Cornish king." 2

Early History of the Jenkin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jenkin research. Another 173 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1584, 1598, 1601, 1602, 1607, 1613, 1656, 1672, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1678, 1680, 1681, 1685, 1689, 1727, 1731, 1739 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jenkin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenkin Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Jenkins, Jenkin, Jankins, Jenkynn, Jenkynns, Jenkyns, Jinkines, Jinkins, Jenkens, Junkin, Junkins, Jenkings and many more.

Early Notables of the Jenkin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

John Jenkins (1598-1678), an English composer born in Maidstone, Kent, who served as a musician to the Royal and noble families and composed many pieces for strings. 3
William Jenkyn (1613-1685), was an English clergyman, imprisoned during the Interregnum for his part in the Presbyterian Plot of Christopher Love; and John Jenkins (died 1681), was an English immigran...

Jenkin Ranking

In the United States, the name Jenkin is the 13,748^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Jenkin family to Ireland

Some of the Jenkin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jenkin migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Jenkin or a variant listed above:

Jenkin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Oliver Jenkin, who arrived in Virginia in 1619
David Jenkin, who landed in Virginia in 1642 5
John Jenkin, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 5
Morgan Jenkin, who settled in Nevis in 1654
Geo Jenkin, who landed in Virginia in 1663 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jenkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

L Jenkin, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 5
Mr. Nicholas Jenkin, (b. 1826), aged 25, Cornish miner departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30 April 1851 6
Mr. Joseph Jenkin, (b. 1857), aged 29, Cornish settler departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Gallia" arriving in the United States on 6 July 1886 6
Mr. Henry Jenkin, (b. 1866), aged 21, Cornish miner departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving in the United States on 1 August 1887 6
Mr. Joshua Jenkin, (b. 1865), aged 24, Cornish farmer departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving in New York, USA on 20 May 1889 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jenkin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. William Jenkin, (b. 1875), aged 25, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st April 1900 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 7
Mr. William Jenkin, (b. 1876), aged 24, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 5th May 1900 en route to Michigan, USA 7
Mr. Fred Jenkin, (b. 1878), aged 22, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th April 1900 en route to Hancock, Michigan, USA 7
Mr. Henry Jenkin, (b. 1867), aged 36, Cornish blacksmith from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Celtic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th April 1903 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 7
Mr. Henry Jenkin, (b. 1884), aged 19, Cornish miner from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 28th June 1903 en route to Red Jacket, Michigan, USA 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jenkin migration to Australia +

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

Jenkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Vincent Jenkin (b. 1795), aged 23, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 24th March 1818, sentenced for life for stealing money from his employer, transported aboard the ship "Globe" in September 1818 to Australia 8
Mr. Henry Jenkin (b. 1816), aged 17, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 31st July 1833, sentenced for life, transported aboard the ship "Moffatt" on 4th January 1834 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 9
Miss Ann Jenkin who was convicted in Glamorganshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Henry Jenkin, (b. 1816), aged 17 born in Helston, Cornwall, UK convicted in Bodmin on 31st July 1833, sentenced for death reduced to life for , transported aboard the ship "Moffatt" in 1834 to Van Diemen's Land, Tasmania, Australia 11
Ms. Prudence Jenkin, (b. 1801), aged 37, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 17th October 1837, sentenced for 14 years for stealing a variety of items from William James of Truro, transported aboard the ship "John Renwick" on 25th April 1838 to New South Wales, Australia 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Jenkin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jenkin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Jenkin, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Josephine Willis" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th February 1855 12
Mrs. Jenkin, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Josephine Willis" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th February 1855 12
Mr. James Jenkin, (b. 1836), aged 26, Cornish farm labourer departing on 21st October 1862 aboard the ship "Chariot of Fame" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th January 1863 13
Mr. James Jenkin, (b. 1857), aged 5, Cornish settler departing on 21st October 1862 aboard the ship "Chariot of Fame" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th January 1863 13
Mr. John Jenkin, (b. 1861), aged 1, Cornish settler departing on 21st October 1862 aboard the ship "Chariot of Fame" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 29th January 1863, he died on board before arriving 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jenkin (post 1700) +

Albert Jenkin (1872-1961), English born, Welsh international rugby player
Sir Bernard Christison Jenkin M.P. (b. 1959), British Member of Parliament for Harwich and North East, was appointed a Knight Bachelor on 8th June 2018, for political and public service 14
Charles Patrick Fleeming Jenkin (b. 1926), Baron Jenkin of Roding, British politician
Robert Jenkin (b. 1977), British entrepreneur with interests in Bulgaria
Richard Jenkin (1925-2002), Cornish language scholar and politician
Patrick Jenkin (b. 1926), Baron Jenkin of Roding, British politician
Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin (1900-1980), British writer, founder of the Cornish Miner
Guy Jenkin, British comedy writer
Fleeming Jenkin (1833-1885), British engineer
Bernard Jenkin (b. 1959), British politician

Historic Events for the Jenkin family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Leonard Mons Jenkin (b. 1915), English Petty Office Stoker from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15
Mr. Arthur Richard Jenkin, British Not known, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15

RMS Titanic

Mr. Stephen Curnow Jenkin (d. 1912), aged 32, English Second Class passenger from St. Ives, Cornwall who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 16

The Jenkin 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: Perge sed caute
Motto Translation: Advance but cautiously .

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/tasmanian_convicts_cornish.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html