Clan Akins

The surname Akins, along with Aikens, Aiken and various other spellings are variants of the Scottish personal name Aitken.http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?fid=10&ln= Retrieved on April 21, 2007] Aitken is a pet form of Adam.

Early Akins'

The first recorded appearance of an Akins occurs in 1405 in the court records of a Scottish sea merchant named "John of Akyne" who sought restitution for having been kidnapped by Laurence Tuttebury of Hull, England, who pirated his ship and goods.Fact|date=April 2007

William Ackin, who was a witness in the parish of Brechin in 1476. John Eckin was a tenant under the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1511. John Ackyne served as bailie of Stirling in 1520. Robert Aykkyne was admitted to the burgess of Aberdeen in 1529. Bessie Aiken of Leith was found guilty of Witchcraft in 1597, narrowly escaping execution. David Akin of Aberdeen was an early passenger to America, settling in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife and family before 1664. A John Aiken was among those who fought under the banner of the Covenant at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679. Alexander Aiken of Bo'ness, West Lothian, was among the Scots colonists who took part in the ill-fated Darien expedition in 1699.Fact|date=April 2007

Distribution

Great Britain

*A total of 75 Akins appear in the 1881 Census of Great Britain, and is ranked 19,524th most common surname.http://www.spatial-literacy.org/UCLnames/default.aspx Retrieved on April 22, 2007]
*A total of 216 Akins appear in the 1996 Electoral roll of Great Britain, and is ranked 15,975th most common surname.

Ireland

In Griffith's Valuation, a property survey of Ireland from 1848-1864, records 3 households of Akins in Ireland; 2 in County Donegal and 1 in County Monaghan. [http://www.ireland.com/ancestor/ Retrieved on April 15, 2007]

Akins' of America

The surname Akins is ranked 1,556th in the 1990 United States Census. [http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.all.last Retrieved on April 15, 2007]

A Clan Akins?

In or about 2001 an American, Steven Akins, styled himself as "Steven L. Akins of that Ilk, Hereditary Chief of the name and arms of the Clan Akins" [http://www.genealogy.com/users/a/k/i/Steven-L-Akins-of-that-ilk/index.html Retrieved on April 21, 2007] and even "An t-Acainaich Mor". [http://web.archive.org/web/20000816223322/http://www.angelfire.com/al2/akinsclanwebsite/ Archived copy from August 16, 2000 Retrieved on April 26, 2007] Steven created a clan badge, crest and tartan for his clanhttp://homepages.rootsweb.com/~catinjax/akins/ Retrieved on April 21, 2007] and petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms to claim the right to use a coat of arms of an alleged ancestor and legitimize his clan. On April 15, 2001 an article in the Sunday Mail, a Scottish newspaper, stated that Steven Akins allegedly attempted to bribe a Glasgow man in aiding him in his bid to be recognized as chief of Clan Akins. Akins allegedly wished to plant a forged tombstone with a coat of arms inscription, accompanied with forged genealogical records to prove his family was based in Lanarkshire in the 1700s.http://www.asvl28.dsl.pipex.com/z-sja-main.html Retrieved on April 22, 2007] Steven Akins' petition was ultimately rejected because of fraudulent information. [http://scottish-genealogy-research.thecapitalscot.com/clangenealogist.pdf Retrieved on April 21, 2007] The Clan Akins Society headed by Steven and his wife, which had charged $15 per year membership, has since become defunct.

ee also

*Adam (name)
*Akins
*Aiken (surname)
*Aikens
*Aitken

Notes

External links

* http://www.ancestraldesigns.com/akins/ Genealogical website concerning Akins' of the southern United States.
* http://homepage.eircom.net/~seanjmurphy/chiefs/akins2.htm Analysis of fraudulent documentation submitted to Lyon Court in petition of Steven L. Akins of that Ilk.
* http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/atoc/akins2.html Information submitted by the now defunct "Clan Akins Society".