Map of Wales showing where the Popkin arms are recorded
The Popkin arms were recorded in Glamorgan, c. 1647.
Glamorgan was the richest part of Wales, with good coastal farmland and Norman castles along it. The families who held those castles kept their land for centuries, and long holding brought recorded 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 Wales in this period.
Charles I of England
Sovereign of the period
Charles I of England
1625–1649
Reigning in Wales when the Popkin arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Wales
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 Glamorgan.
Origin & History of the Popkin Family in Wales
The surname Popkin is a patronymic name, which means it originated as a way to identify a person by their father’s given name. It is derived from the Welsh name Hopkin, which itself is a diminutive form of the name Robert. Over time, the initial "H" was dropped or softened in local speech, leading to the transition from Hopkin to Popkin. By the middle of the seventeenth century, the family was well-established in the county of Glamorgan in South Wales. During this period, the region was undergoing significant social and economic changes, and families like the Popkins were often involved in local agriculture or trade. Because records from this time were often kept by parish clerks, the name appears in various baptismal and marriage registers that document the family's deep roots in the Welsh landscape.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Ap Hopkin
Son of Hopkin, a diminutive form of the name Robert.
This name
PopkinA patronymic surname originating from Wales meaning son of the bright fame.
also spelled
Popkyn
Popkynne
Documented Sources
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Morgan, T.J. and Morgan, Prys. Welsh Surnames. 1985
Rowlands, John and Rowlands, Sheila. The Surnames of Wales. 1996
National Library of Wales, Glamorgan Quarter Sessions Records
The National Archives, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Wills and Administrations
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stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
stagPeace and harmony, and one who will not fight unprovoked
