ADKINS
The surname Adkins is of genuine English origin, arising in the early medieval period within the British Isles. It derives from the personal name Adam, a Hebrew word meaning either man or earth, and from the Old English diminutive suffix -kin, which conveys the sense of “little” or “descendant of”. Consequently, the name can be read as “little Adam” or “son of Adam”.
Historical documentation confirms the existence of the name in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries. A record from the 1191 Pipe Rolls of Norfolk refers to an Adekin filius Turst, while the 1296 Records of the Estates of Crowland Abbey, Cambridgeshire, list a certain John Adekyn. Subsequent entries show the evolution of the patronymic form: John Adekynes in Warwickshire (1332), Willelmus Adkynson in the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Howdenshire, and Johannes Attekyson in Yorkshire (1379). The modern variations of the surname include Adkins, Atkins, Attkins, Adkinson, Atkinson and Adkisson.
The earliest recorded spelling of the family name appearing in formal registers is that of William Atkyns, dated 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, during the reign of King Edward I, who is sometimes referred to as “Edward of Caerhaug.” This attests to the name’s established use in the early fourteenth century.
Notable secular use of the name is found in the parish register entry of 4 October 1657, when George, the son of George and Susanna Adkins, was christened at St. Bride’s, Fleet Street, London. In the realm of public service, Robert Adkins is recorded in the *Dictionary of National Biography* as a chaplain under the Commonwealth, serving earlier in the regime of Oliver Cromwell.
The heraldic credentials of the name have also been documented. A coat of arms granted to the Adkins family features an ermine shield supporting two azure lions rampant in chief. The crest comprises a red lion rampant backing a flagstaff and ropes proper, upon which a silver flag is charged with a red cross.
Typical given names associated with the Adkins surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Philip
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Joanne
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Rachel
- Rebecca
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
- Suzanne
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Adkins in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 3,251 people named Adkins in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,797th most common surname in Britain. Around 50 in a million people in Britain are named Adkins.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Adkins
- Adele Laurie Blue Adkins - Singer-songwriter
- Scott Adkins - Actor
- Nigel Adkins - Football player and manager
- Trace Adkins - American country music singer and actor
- Roy Francis Adkins - Criminal (1947 to 1990)
- Monty Adkins - Composer, lecturer, performer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.