Welcome to all Watkins Researchers:
Watkins Family History Society
"
Founded in 1995, this coalition of WATKINS researchers has been formed to collect and organize genealogical data on WATKINS families world-wide and along the way we try to have a little fun.

WATKIN is a forname for example

Watkin Tench: "Watkin TENCH (1758/9-1833)
Tench was born in England. He became familiar with Latin and French and spent some time in France during his early years.
He served in the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence and in 1786 volunteered for three years service with the First Fleet.

Following James Cook's 'discovery' of Australia in 1770, the First Fleet arrived from England in 1788 carrying approximately 760 convicts and a force of 212 officers and marines.
What is now Sydney was to be settled and established as a penal colony.

Tench, who served as a marine on one of the vessels, provides a first hand account of the voyage and then goes on to describe the subsequent settlement in Sydney, New South Wales. He details the natural environment of Port Jackson and its environs; the efforts to establish food production; the exploratory trips into the hinterland; and, most interestingly, the first interaction between Europeans and the Australian Aborigines."

WATKIN may be derived from
WALTER or GWALTER, GWATKIN is also seen,
and the nickname WAT

which in SANSKRIT means an enclosure or in THAI a temple, and a hurdle which is used to make an enclosure or sheep pen,

The meaning and origin of the first name Wat: "The meaning of Wat
Origin: English
Meaning: Hurdle.

Origin: German
Meaning: Diminutive of Walter: Rules the people; powerful ruler. Famous Bearers: explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1554-1618) and U.S. actor Walter Matthau.

Origin: Teutonic
Meaning: Strong fighter."

Infamously

Wat Tyler (British And Irish History, Biographies) - 1Up Info - Encyclopedia: "Wat Tyler d. 1381, English rebel. His given name appears in full as Walter; his surname signifies the trade of a roof tiler. He came into prominence as the leader of the rebellion of 1381, known as the Peasants' Revolt. "

BBC - Radio 4 This Sceptred Isle - Richard II, Wat Tyler and the Peasants' Revolt: "The country ENGLAND was over-taxed and when in 1381 an extra poll-tax was introduced, the peasants' of Kent and Essex rebelled. They gathered behind Wat Tyler and marched to London. The Chancellor and the Treasurer were beheaded by the mob on Tower Hill. The young King met the mob at Smithfield, Wat Tyler presented their charter. Tyler attacked the Lord Mayor of London as he tried to arrest him, he was later beheaded."

and his head no doubt put on a pole . . . we are only recently more civilised.

Well he had a surname from his occupation but others had a patronymic s:
"Of, relating to, or derived from the name of one's father or a paternal ancestor."

lots more Google Search: patronymic

and

Dictionary of Difficult Words - patronymic: "a.,n. (name) derived from father or ancestors; surname, especially formed by addition of suffix (as -son, etc.) to father's name."

or in Danish -sen.

but -kins:
"-kin or -kins
suff.
Little one: devilkin.
[Middle English, probably from Middle Dutch -kijn, -kin.]"

and
Merriam-Webster OnLine: "akin to Old High German -chIn, diminutive suffix
: little "


Welsh Patronymics: "However the great majority of Welsh surnames are based on patronymics and these other names have mainly developed to help identify people or as a result of English influences."

an example
Newport, Salop, 1828/9, page 4: "Watkin Watkin, Wheelwright, Water Lane"

Dissent in the Counties of Glamorgan and Monmouth: "1802 March 21; Protestant; a dwelling house called Crythan in the parish of lower Llantwit near Neath; Thomas BOWEN, John HOWELL, Watkin WATKIN; No 413 "


then the -s was added too english style


1815 May 11: Independant Calvanist; a meeting house called Ebenezer, Watkin WATKINS, Minister, Robert WILLIAM elder, Thomas LEWLLYN, deacon, William THOMAS, No 417 (endorsed Received 1815 May 11)

or Google Search: watkinson

and Google Search: watson


Most embarrassingly
Sir Edward William Watkin: "One of his projects was on the site of what is now the famous Wembley Stadium. It became kown as the Watkins Folly:
"During a trip to the Exhibition of France in 1889, Sir Edward Watkin, Chairman of the Metropolitan Railway and one of the first to push the idea of a channel tunnel, became greatly impressed with the newly built Eiffel Tower, which stood at over 894 feet high.
Sir Watkin wanted to build an even taller tower on land he owned in Wembley Park. He set up the Metropolitan Tower Construction Company, and held an architectural competition inviting designs from all over the world. Many of the ideas sent in strongly resembled the Eiffel Tower. "

Wembley, London Borough of Brent: "Wembley Park used to belong to the Page family in the 16-17th century. In the 1870 it was landscaped. At the end of the 19th century the Wembley Park estate was purchased by the Metropolitan Railway to create pleasure grounds. Its chairman Edward Watkin planned to build a 1,200 foot steel tower to rival the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was to complement a beautifully paid out part with leisure and sports facilities. The Park opened in 1894 and was only 12 minutes from Baker Street thanks to Metropolitan Railway. The tower, however, had to be abandoned, partly due to the unsuitability of the marshland and demolished in 1904.
A stadium was built on the site of the tower which held the 1923 Football Cup Final, which turned out to be huge affair with thousands of people overwhelming Wembley. "

Google Search: watkin brent

AND some embarrassing romantic TOSH :

Google Search: watkin brent

WE ARE ONLY NAME BROTHERS

new to me Google Search: Watkines

and sucker bait

Watkins Family Crest, Coat of Arms: "Origin Displayed: Welsh
(Below is a small excerpt from our 1800 word history)
Spelling variations include: Watkins, Watkyns, Watkens, Watkin and others.
First found in Breconshire, where they were seated at Pennoyre from ancient times and early in the eleventh century branched to Llangorse in that same shire.
Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Henry Watkins who was a fisherman of Little Harbour in Twillingate Newfoundland in 1814; Peregrine Watkines settled in Virginia in 1621; Evan Watkins settled in Virginia in 1622."

why sucker bait see:-
College of Arms: "The College of Arms is the official repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families and their descendants. Its records also include official copies of the records of Ulster King of Arms the originals of which remain in Dublin.

The officers of the College, known as heralds, specialize in genealogical and heraldic work for their respective clients."


College of Arms FAQ : "Q. Do coats of arms belong to surnames?
A. No. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals.

For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past. "