Wilkinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Wilkinson

What does the name Wilkinson mean?

Wilkinson is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Wilkinson comes from the Norman personal name Wilkins, which in turn is derived from the name William. William, which is derived from the words will, meaning resolution and helm, meaning armed. 1

Early Origins of the Wilkinson family

The surname Wilkinson was first found in Durham where they held a family seat from early times. They were descended from Robert de Wintona, of Glamorgan, 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. 2

"This name is almost entirely confined to the northern half of England, as defined by a line drawn west from the Wash. It is best represented in Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, and Lancashire, and is also fairly numerous in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, and Cheshire. " 3

Early rolls provided a wide range of spellings that have been used over the centuries: Roger Wyleconsesone, found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332; and Thomas Wilkynson in the Subsidy Rolls for Cumberland in 1332. 4 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Adam Wylkynson and Thomas Wylkynson. 5

Early History of the Wilkinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wilkinson research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1566, 1586, 1597, 1601, 1610, 1613, 1616, 1646, 1647, 1650, 1675, 1690, 1728, 1738, 1797, 1798, 1808, 1875 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Wilkinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilkinson Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Wilkinson, Wilkisson, Wilkiesson and others.

Early Notables of the Wilkinson family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Henry Wilkinson (1610-1675), an English clergyman, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity, and member of the Westminster Assembly. He was the son of Henry Wilkinson (1566-1647), by his wife Sarah, was...
Henry Wilkinson (1616-1690), was an English clergyman and academic, Principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, son of William Wilkinson, curate or chaplain of Adwick-le-Street, Yorkshire. "John Wilkinson (d...
William Wilkinson (d. 1613), the English theological writer, matriculated as a Sizar of Queens' College, Cambridge. 6
John WIlkinson (1728-1808), was the 'father of the south Staffordshire iron trade,' and was born at Clifton, Cumberland, in 1728. His father, Isaac Wilkinson, had a small farm in Cumberland, but was a...
Sir John Gardner Wilkinson (1797-1875), English explorer and Egyptologist, born on 5 Oct. 1797 and baptised at Chelsea on 17 Jan. 1798, was the son of the Rev. John Wilkinson of Hardendale, Westmorlan...

Wilkinson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Wilkinson is the 631^st most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 7 However, in Canada, the name Wilkinson is ranked the 495^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,825 people with that name. 8 And in Australia, the name Wilkinson is the 162^nd popular surname with an estimated 18,821 people with that name. 9 New Zealand ranks Wilkinson as 113^rd with 3,860 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Wilkinson as 74^th with 60,393 people. 11

Migration of the Wilkinson family to Ireland

Some of the Wilkinson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wilkinson migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Wilkinson or a variant listed above were:

Wilkinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Wilkinson, surgeon who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607
John Wilkinson, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1630 as part of the Winthrop Fleet.
Mr. John Wilkinson, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 12
Mr. Henry Wilkinson, (b. 1610), aged 25, British talow chandler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Elizabeth and Anne" arriving in Massachusetts Bay (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire) in 1635 13
Mr. John Wilkinson, (b. 1621), aged 14, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Grace Wilkinson, who arrived in Virginia in 1702 15
Alice Wilkinson, who arrived in Carolina in 1724 15
Mary Wilkinson, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1767 15
Daniel Wilkinson, who arrived in New York in 1775 15

Wilkinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Wilkinson, who landed in America in 1806 15
Alexander Wilkinson, who landed in Connecticut in 1812 15
Richard Wilkinson, aged 38, who arrived in Maine in 1812 15
Samuel Wilkinson, aged 29, who arrived in New York in 1812 15
John Wilkinson, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkinson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wilkinson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Henry Wilkinson, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Thomas Wilkinson with his wife and child settled in Nova Scotia in 1774
Frans Wilkinson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
Mr. John Wilkinson U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 224 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 16
Capt. Richard Wilkinson U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 16

Wilkinson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Cornelius Wilkinson was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1815 17
Miss. Sarah Wilkinson who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wakefield" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle on 4th July 1847 18

Wilkinson migration to Australia +

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

Wilkinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Wilkinson, British convict who was convicted in Northampton, Northamptsonshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
Mr. Ralph Wilkinson, (Ganway, Joseph Bolsove Stanway), English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 20
Mr. Thomas Wilkinson, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 20
Mr. George Wilkinson, English convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire (Parts of Lindsey), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 21
Mr. William Wilkinson, (b. 1797), aged 20, Welsh solider who was convicted in Brecon, Powys, Wales for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1860 22
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkinson 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:

Wilkinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

E Wilkinson, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1837
Johnson B. Wilkinson, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
Ann Wilkinson, aged 22, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aurora" in 1840
John Wilkinson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Arab
J S Wilkinson, who landed in Kaipara, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship "Sophia Pate"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wilkinson 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. 23

Wilkinson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Edward Wilkinson, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 24
Mr. Mathew Wilkinson, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 25
Elizabeth Wilkinson, aged 21, who arrived in Jamaica in 1684 15

Contemporary Notables of the name Wilkinson (post 1700) +

Doris Yvonne Wilkinson (1936-2024), American sociologist from Lexington, Kentucky, the first African American to graduate from the University of Kentucky in 1958
Dorothy Elsie Wilkinson (1921-2023), American former softball player and bowler, inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1970, inducted into the International Bowling Hall of Fame in 1990
Leland Wilkinson (1944-2021), American statistician and computer scientist at H2O.ai and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at University of Illinois at Chicago
Robert Raymond "Bob" Wilkinson (1927-2016), American NFL football end for the New York Giants (1951-1952)
Richard Warren "Buzzy" Wilkinson (1932-2016), American NBA basketball player
Adrienne Marie Wilkinson (b. 1977), American actress
J Harvie Wilkinson III (b. 1944), American judge, chief judge of US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1996-2003)
David Todd Wilkinson (1935-2002), American cosmologist, Chairman of the Physics Department at Princeton University (1987-1990)
James Wilkinson (1757-1825), American general
Andrew Wilkinson, English surgeon, Professor of Pediatrics at University of Oxford
... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wilkinson family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Alexander MacKay Wilkinson (1906-1941), Australian Lieutenant-Commander from Mosman, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 26

HMS Hood

Mr. Stanley Wilkinson (b. 1919), English Leading Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Bradford, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
Mr. James W Wilkinson (b. 1918), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27
Mr. Frederick J R Wilkinson (b. 1924), English Boy 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 27

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Robert Wilkinson, English Turret Sweeper, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
Mr. Sydney Wilkinson, British Chief Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 28
Mr. Roy Wilkinson, British Officer Steward, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
Mr. Robert Wilkinson, English Able Seaman from England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 28
Mr. Paul Laurence Wilkinson, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 28
... (Another 1 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Repulse

Mr. Roy Wilkinson, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 29

HMS Royal Oak

Anthony P. Wilkinson, British Paymaster Lieutenant with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 30
Joseph Wilkinson (1923-1939), British Boy 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 30

RMS Lusitania

Mr. James Wilkinson, English Engineers’ Mess Steward from Walton, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 31

RMS Titanic

Miss Elizabeth Anne Wilkinson, (alias Mrs. Elizabeth Faunthorpe), aged 29, English Second Class passenger from Manchester, England who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping on life boat 16 32

The Wilkinson 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: Non mihi sed tibi gloria
Motto Translation: Glory to thee, not to me.

Citations +

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Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 24th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
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
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 60)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html