WILKINS
Wilkins is a surname of English origin, belonging to the category of patronymic names that denote descent from an ancestor bearing the given name William. The name has been documented from the mid‑eleventh century and has since become a fairly common surname throughout English‑speaking countries.
The personal name William was introduced into England by the Norman Conquest, originating in the Old Germanic form Wilhelm and the French Guillaume. It is composed of the elements wil, meaning “will” or “desire”, and helm, which denotes a helmet or protection. Consequently, the meaning of William is often rendered as “resolute protector” or “willful protector”.
In the early medieval period a diminutive form of William was created by adding the suffix ‑kin, giving rise to the name Wilkin, a pet name or affectionate variant. The surname Wilkins then developed as the patronymic form Wilkin‑s, literally “son of Wilkin”. This construction is typified by surnames such as Wilkes and Wilkinson, all indicating descent from an ancestor named William.
Historical records attest to the early existence of the name. The first known use of the personal form is found in the Northumberland Pipe Rolls of 1166, where the name appears as “Wilechin”. The surname itself is recorded for the first time as “Roger Wylkyns” in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, during the reign of King Edward I. Further evidence comes from the parish registers of London: John Wilkins married Merget Martyn on 15 April 1541 at St. Michael Bassishaw, and George Wilkins was christened on 30 November 1550 at St. Andrew Hubbard. These entries demonstrate the name’s presence in urban centres by the sixteenth century.
By the early seventeenth century, members of the family had emigrated to the New World. John Wilkins and his wife are listed as residents of the Eastern Shore of Virginia in February 1623, illustrating the early overseas spread of the surname. The family’s heraldic recognition is notable: at least fourteen unique coats of arms have been granted. One such emblem, described as an ermine shield upon a black bend bearing three silver martlets, with a gold canton charged with a red rose, features a crest of a black boar passant reguardant pierced through the shoulders with a silver arrow bendways. The creature’s representation is said to be biting the arrow, symbolising resilience.
Today Wilkins remains a well‑established surname in Britain and across the globe, retained in its original spelling in many instances while also accepting spelling variations such as Wilkin and Wilkens. Its enduring prevalence is a testament to its stable patronymic origins and the lasting influence of the Norman introduction of the name William into English onomastics.
Typical given names associated with the Wilkins surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Janet
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Wilkins in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Wilkins are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jammy Dodger.
There are approximately 22,128 people named Wilkins in the UK. That makes it the 386th most common surname in Britain. Around 340 in a million people in Britain are named Wilkins.
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 Wilkins
- Ray Wilkins - Football player and manager (1956 to 2018)
- John Wilkins - Secretary of the Royal Society and Bishop of Chester (1614 to 1672)
- Dean Wilkins - Football player and manager
- Toby Wilkins - Film director
- Graham Wilkins - Football player
- William Wilkins - Architect, classical scholar and archaeologist (1778 to 1839)
- Alan Wilkins - Welsh cricketer and commentator
- Barry Wilkins - Ice Hockey player (1947 to 2011)
- Margaret Lucy Wilkins - Composer
- Richard Wilkins - Football player and manager
- Clive Wilkins - Painter
- Stephen Wilkins - Football player
- Rosalie Wilkins, Baroness Wilkins - Politician
- Les Wilkins - Football player (1907 to 1)
- Emma Wilkins - Swimmer
- Burleigh Taylor Wilkins - American philosopher (1932 to 2015)
- Dai Wilkins -
- Donald Wilkins - Cricketer (1903 to 1972)
- Henry Wilkins -
- Mike Wilkins -
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.