A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Alkins family of England.
Reg. 1128 · English, A–C
Coat of Arms & Family Crest Details
Symbols on this shield
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
Colours
Silver (Argent)Means: Peace and sincerity
Blue (Azure)Means: Loyalty and truth
Red (Gules)Means: Military strength
Historical info
Source
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)
“Ar. three bars az. in chief three torteaux”
Englandc. 1620
Where the Alkins Arms Were Recorded
York
Map of England showing where the Alkins arms are recorded
The Alkins arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
James VI and I
Sovereign of the period
James VI and I
1603–1625
Reigning in England when the Alkins arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in England
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
Granting authority
The College of Arms in London has regulated the use of coats of arms throughout England and Wales since 1484.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal grant from the Crown or by proving their ancient right to them.
Where arms were recorded
All official coats of arms are recorded in the registers kept at the College of Arms, which date back to the fifteenth century.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of England.
Origin & History of the Alkins Family in England
The surname Alkins is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person as the son or descendant of someone named Alk or Alkin. This root name is a diminutive form of the ancient Germanic name Adal, which translates to noble. By the year 1620, records confirm that members of the Alkins family were well-established in the historic city of York. During this period, York was a bustling center of trade and religion, and families like the Alkins were often involved in the local crafts or merchant guilds that defined the city’s economy. Living in a walled city with deep Roman and Viking roots, these early ancestors would have navigated a society transitioning through the turbulent early seventeenth century. Their presence in such a significant northern hub suggests that the family was integrated into the professional and social life of England long before the era of modern record-keeping.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Adam
Derived from the Hebrew word for man or earth.
This name
AlkinsA patronymic surname meaning son of the diminutive form of Adam.
also spelled
Alkinne
Alkyne
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Reaney, P.H. and Wilson, R.M., A Dictionary of English Surnames, 1991
Bardsley, Charles Wareing, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, 1901
Borthwick Institute for Archives, York Diocesan Probate Records
The National Archives, State Papers Domestic, James I
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roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
roundelA coin, and one who has been to the crusades
