Contents [hide]

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

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Wilkin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Wilkin

What does the name Wilkin mean?

Wilkin is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Wilkin 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 Wilkin family

The surname Wilkin 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. 3

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. 4

Early History of the Wilkin family

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

Wilkin Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Wilkin were recorded, including Wilkins, Wilkin, Wilkines, Wilkyn, Wilking and others.

Early Notables of the Wilkin family

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...
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 Shakespe...
David Wilkins (1685-1745), was an English scholar, born of Prussian parentage. His true name was Wilke, which he latinised as Wilkius, and then Anglicized into Wilkins. 5
George Wilkins (fl. 1601), was an English dramatist and pamphleteer. "The burial register of the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, which has been consulted by the present writer, attests that 'George...
John Wilkins (1614-1672), was an English divine, Bishop of Chester, the son of Walter Wilkins, an Oxford goldsmith. 5

Wilkin Ranking

In the United States, the name Wilkin is the 12,917^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Wilkin migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Wilkin arrived in North America very early:

Wilkin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wilkin, who landed in Virginia in 1660 7

Wilkin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Wilkin, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1812 7
George Wilkin, aged 30, who landed in St Louis, Missouri in 1845 7
Mr. Joh. Wilkin, aged 45, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Gesina"
Christoph Wilkin, aged 66, who landed in New York in 1849 7
Dorthea Wilkin, aged 48, who arrived in New York in 1849 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilkin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Wilkin, who arrived in Canada in 1836

Wilkin migration to Australia +

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

Wilkin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Wilkin, English convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. John Wilkin, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
John Wilkin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 10
Hannah Wilkin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 10
John Wilkin, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Isabella Watson" in 1846 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkin 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:

Wilkin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Wilkin, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841
Robert Wilkin a farmer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Romulus" in 1862
Mr. Wilkin, Canadian travelling from Vancouver Island aboard the ship "Konig Oscar" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 11th January 1865 12
Mr. R. Wilkin, British travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th January1869 12
Mrs. Wilkin, British travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 8th January1869 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkin migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Wilkin Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Maudlin Wilkin, who settled in Barbados in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilkin (post 1700) +

Marijohn Wilkin (1920-2006), American songwriter
Abra Prentice Anderson Wilkin (b. 1942), American philanthropist
Corporal Edward G Wilkin, American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1945
Simon Wilkin (1790-1862), English editor of the ‘Works of Sir Thomas Browne,’ born at Costessey (Cossey), Norfolk 14
Jon Wilkin (b. 1983), English rugby player
Catherine Wilkin (b. 1945), English-born, Australian actress

The Wilkin 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
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PLANTER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Planter.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ISABELLA WATSON 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846IsabellaWatson.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 31 Jan. 2019