The
Origins
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The name EAKINS/AKIN originated in Scotland/Ireland and can be found on records dating back to the 14th century. Thought to derive from the place named AKIN (as in Kyle Akin, Dun Akin, etc.) originating from ACAIN the Gaelic form of the name HAKON, a Norse name brought to Scotland by the Vikings who invaded the Western Isles in the 10th-13th Centuries. It may also be derived from the Gaelic name Eachin (Hector), meaning "Horse Lord", it is sometimes spelled Eakins, particularly among those Scots who settled in the province of Ulster, Ireland, begining in the 17th century. |
| Origins of the Name:
Aicken, Aiken, Aikins, Akin, Eaken, Eakins As a place name, Akin occurs in the west coast of Scotland,
on the Hebridean Isle of Skye. Here, in the 13th century, the Viking leader,
King Hakon IV of Norway, stealthly crept with his invading army in a fleet
of longboats, on his way to defeat at the hands of the Scottish king, Alexander
To commemorate his passage through this region, the narrow strait between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland, through which Hakon sailed, was afterwards known as Kyleakin, from the gaelic words Caol Acain, meaning "the Strait of Hakon" in the native Celtic language of the Scottish people. castle pic: Dunakin Castle Remains This area Skye Village of Kyle Akin, named for the strait on which it is located, and is also the site of Dun Akin (Dunakin) castle, a 12th century fortress, long held by the MacKinnon clan. As a surname, the first recorded appearance of its use occurs in the year 1405, when "John of Akyne", a Scottish merchant, petitioned the court for the return of his ship and goods, which had been illegally seized in England. Other instances of its use occur in the early records
of Scotland, where we find mention of William Ackin, who was a witness
in the parish of Brechin in the year 1476. John Eckin was a tenant under
the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1511. John Ackyne served as bailie of Stirling
in 1520. Robert Aykkne was admitted to the burgess of Aberdeen in 1539.
Bessie Aiken of Leith was
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 When Ireland's northern province of Ulster was opened up for colonization by Scotland's King James VI, members of the Clan Akins were among the thousands of Scots who settled in that troubled region, seeking a better way of life. In Ireland, the name is common only in Ulster, but here new variations in spelling began to occur. Eakins in Belfast, Eakin in County Derry, Ekin in County Donegal, and Egan in County Down. In County Antrim, where the name is most popular, it was found to be most concentrated in an area northwest of Ballymena in the mid 19th century. When the British government began to oppress the Scot-Irish colonists who had settled in Northern Ireland with heavy taxes and religious persecution, many of them left, fleeing to North America as a safe haven, where they might start new lives for themselves. It was in this way that many members of Eakins came to America. Between 1717 and 1776, some 250,000 people left Northern Ireland, mainly for what is now the United States. In the year 1729, more than 6,000 Ulster Scot-Irish arrived at the port of Philadelpia alone. More than 100,000 came to America in the two decades following the Revolutionary War. Thus, with a total of some 11 million citizens of Scottish
and Scots-Irish descent, the United States can claim to have the largest
population of Scots in the world, and it is here that the Clan Akins/Eakins
is its strongest.
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Documenting the Family:
a letter from the Family; We invite you to explore some of the history, customs and traditions relating to our side of the Eakins family. Here you will find a wealth of information gathered together with the help of our family members and freinds which touches upon many interesting and little-known facts concerning our Scot-Irish cultural heritage, and the ancestral lineage of many of the various family branches stemming from the principal stock of our original ancerstral roots, which we will try to trace with your help as far back as possible. As this is a dynamic living document, this website and information herein contained is contiunously growing and being added to as it is verified We, thank you and hope you enjoy what we have started, for all future generations to share with their famillies the Joy of knowing where we have been and where we are going. Respectfully Yours, Sandy Brown Eakins
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