Surname Meakins - Meaning and Origin

Meakins: What does the surname Meakins mean?

The surname Meakins is of Anglo-Saxon derivation and is believed to be locational, derived from the parish of Meakins located in Staffordshire. The origin of the name is believed to be derived from the Old English words macen(ge) - meaning a field - and the suffix -en which denotes a ‘place’ of habitation. The name would have been assumed by someone who from an outside area, given the absence of any natural topographical feature by which they could be recognised.

The Meakins family name originated during the early years of the Middle Ages and was a name used to denote a resident at the said locality described above. Additionally, alternate spellings of the surname include Meakin, Mekens, Mekins and Maeken. Those bearing the name are believed to have first resided in the vicinity of the parish of Meakins in Staffordshire.

The first 79 entries in the records of the English Surname Register, indicate that those of the Meakins surname were prominent members of early English society; they consisted of Matthew Meakin who held lands in Northamptonshire in 1421 following the Battle of Agincourt and William Meaks, burgess of Bristol in 1462. The Meakins were also known to hold a family seat in Lancashire, in the village of Pennington.

In brief, the surname Meakins is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is locational in derivation, referring to originally those who resided within the parish of Meakins located in Staffordshire. Early records demonstrate that the Meakins family were notable people of their time and many held seats of influence in both local and national society.

Meakins: Where does the name Meakins come from?

The last name Meakins is thought to be most common in parts of North America, particularly Canada and the United States. The name may have originated in England as a variation of the name Meeks.

Meakins is generally found in higher concentrations in the midwestern states of Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, as well as parts of the New England states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. In Canada, the highest concentration of Meakins is found in Ontario and British Columbia.

The earliest records of Meakins in North America go as far back as the 1700s. William Meakins was one of the earliest immigrants to Maryland in the United States in 1742. Records of Meakins in Canada date back to the 1840s with the arrival of Henry Meakins in Upper Canada.

By the turn of the twentieth century, Meakins had spread throughout the continent. The 1900 US Census listed over 600 individuals with the surname Meakins in the United States alone. The number of Meakins living in North America today is difficult to determine due to the large number of scattered records and the occurrence of spelling variations. It is estimated however, that there are currently thousands of individuals with the last name Meakins.

Variations of the surname Meakins

The surname Meakins is derived from one of two Old English words: maken, meaning “a builder” or meken, which means “to make.” It is found in various areas in the UK, with the most common spellings being Maken, Meakin, Mechen, Mechenson, Makin, Makins, and Mekins.

Maken is the earliest recorded variation of the surname, found in the 11th century in Yorkshire. This spelling was also found in records from Warwickshire and Derbyshire from the 14th century onward. Meakin is the most commonly seen variant today, especially in the West Midlands and Lancashire.

Mechen is the version of the surname most commonly found in Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. Mechenson is a derivative of this version and is found mainly in the West Midlands.

The variant Makin is common in England, Scotland, and Wales. Makins is the plural form of the name and is also found in all three countries. Mekins is a variant of Makin and is especially common in Derbyshire and Lancashire.

All of these variants of the surname Meakins share the same origin – the Old English words maken and meken. Despite variations in spelling, they are all ultimately linked to the same ancestral line.

Famous people with the name Meakins

• Emma Meakins: an English swimmer who competed in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 European Short Course Swimming Championships.
• Fred Meakins: a former Major League Baseball catcher.
• Arthur Meakins: a 19th century English cricketer.
• Jack Meakins: an English footballer who played for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa Football Clubs.
• John Meakins: an English author, journalist and philosopher, best know for his book 'The Wheel of Life'.
• Phil Meakins: a former English footballer and current professional boxing promoter.
• Sarah Meakins: a former English swimmer who represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004.
• George Meakins: a former English footballer who played in the Football League for Northampton Town.
• Edward Meakins: a former English cricketer who played First-Class cricket for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1945.
• William Meakins Jr: an American Olympic fencer who was a member of the U.S. fencing team at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Other surnames

Meakin