Akins
Encyclopedia
Akins is a Scottish surname and northern Irish family name.
. These names are considered to be derived from the Scots
personal name Aitken, which is a double diminutive form of the Biblical name Adam
. The name is formed in part from Ad, the diminutive of Adam (the d has been sharpened to t); the name is also formed from the diminutive suffix -kin. George Fraser Black stated that the -s in the surnames Atkins
, and Aitkins, represents "son"; an in consequence, that these names equate to Atkinson
.
In 1946, Black noted that, according to John Paterson (in 1867), the surname Aiken was an old name in the parish
of Ballantrae
, Ayrshire
; and that "in Orkney it is believed to have replaced the Old Norse
name Haakon and its derivative Hakonson." Black also noted that the surname Aiken (and its variations: Aitken, Aitkin, Aitkins, Atkin, Atkins) have been stated by others to be derived from the names Atty ("little Atty"), and Arthur
; although Black stated that he himself disagreed with this derivation, in favour of a diminutive of Adam (above).
In 1857, David MacGregor Peter noted a traditional derivation for the surname Aikman. The account states that the name Aikman originated from an officer who, while commanding troops that besieged Macbeth
in Dunsinane
Castle, told them to attack using oak
branches. According to Peter, this officer was said to have been the progenitor of all Aikmans and Aikens in Scotland. Black, however, noted that this story was too silly to believe. In 1908, William Cutter noted the surname Aiken, and stated that antiquarians have derived the name from the word "aik", meaning "an oak", or "oaken". Black noted that within the heraldry
of the name Aiken (and variations), the use oak is merely an example of canting heraldry
.
Another possible derivation of the surname Akins, suggested by H. Amanda Robb and Andrew Chesler, as well as by Elsdon C. Smith, is that "the name was given to those who were from the area near Akin
, a strait in Scotland
named for King Hakon of Norway
." The strait, known as Kyle Akin
, is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Acain, which means "Haakon's Sound", or "Haakon's Narrows".
. According to Robert A. Bell
, Aiken is "the Scottish form of the English name Atkin, which comes from Adkin, a pet form of Adam." In the mid 19th century, the name was found to be the most popular in Ballymena
, Antrim
. Michael C. O'Laughlin states that families of the surname Aiken (and variants: Ekin, Aikens, Aikins, Aicken, Aitken) are mostly of Scottish and English descent. O'Laughlin states that these names originate, in most cases, to the English name Aitken. Edward MacLysaght
also notes that the Irish surname Aiken is the Scottish form of the English Aitken. According to William and Mary Durning, the names Aiken, Akins, and Eakin came to Ireland from Scotland during the Ulster Plantation
of the 17th century where they were transplanted to the Irish counties of Antrim
, Monaghan
, and Down
respectively.
In Ireland, the surname Aiken has also been used as an Anglicised form of an Irish language
surname. O'Laughlin, and MacLysaght, note that Aiken as an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó hAodhagáin (frequently Anglicised as O'Hagan). The Irish Ó hAodhagáin means "descendant of Aodhagán". The personal name Aodhagán is a double diminutive of the name Aodh, which means "fire". Historically, the O'Hagan
s were centred in the County Tyrone
; their chief was seated at Tullahogue, and had the hereditary right of inaugurating The O'Neill
, as overlord of Ulster.
According to the Durnings, the surname Akin can also be an Anglicisation of the Irish name Ó hÓgáin (O'Eakin). The O'Eakins are stated to descend from the Irish Ui Tuirtre, who were descended from Fiach Tort, son of Colla Uais
of the Oirghialla
which were the descendants of Eochaid Doimlén, son of Cairbre Lifechair
, son of Cormac Ulfhada
and his wife Etaine, whose ancestry goes back another forty-nine generations in Ireland to its earliest Gaelic founders, the Milesians
. MacLysaght notes that although the surname Aicken is generally of Scottish origin (as diminutive of Adam), it is also possibly an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó h-Aogáin.
". According to Black, the "of" in John's name is an error. The first recorded use of the Aiken (and above variants) as a Scottish forename occurs in about the 1340, when "Atkyn de Barr", and "Atkyn Blake", are recorded in Ayr
. The surnames and given names have undergone a variety of transformations in spelling over the years, and in consequence there are many variant forms of the name still in use today.
, a property survey of Ireland from 1848–1864, records 3 households of Akins in Ireland; 2 in County Donegal
, and 1 in County Monaghan
. Variations of the name were said to have been common in the parish of Ballantrae, as well as in the counties of Aberdeen, Fife, Lanark, Perth, Angus, Renfrew, Ayr, Dumbarton, Stirling and the Lothians. In Ireland the name is common only in Ulster, where many Scots colonists settled in the 17th century.
There were 16,860 people with the surname Akins recorded in the 2000 United States Census. It ranked as the 1,960th most common surname in the country. The surname was made up 65.59% White American
s, 30.34% Black Americans, 0.26% Asian American
s and Pacific Islander American
s, 0.73% American Indians and Alaska Natives
, 1.7% Multiracial American
s, and 1.39% Hispanic American
s.
of Akins males who voluntarily submitted for genetic testing has revealed that a majority of those tested are patrilineally descended from various ancestors belonging to Haplogroup
R1b1b2.
Scotland
The name has several possible origins, although it is generally considered to be a variant of Aikens, which is considered to be a patronymic form of the name AikenAiken (surname)
Aiken is a surname, and may refer to*Albert Aiken, Northern Irish footballer who played for Brentford*Ann Aiken , US District Court Judge*Blair Aiken , American NASCAR driver*Carl Aiken, Jamaican reggae singer Shinehead...
. These names are considered to be derived from the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
personal name Aitken, which is a double diminutive form of the Biblical name Adam
Adam (name)
-People with the given name Adam:* Adam of Ebrach , German abbot and historian* Adam , Spanish churchman* Adam , stage name of Mohd Aizam Mat Saman...
. The name is formed in part from Ad, the diminutive of Adam (the d has been sharpened to t); the name is also formed from the diminutive suffix -kin. George Fraser Black stated that the -s in the surnames Atkins
Atkins (surname)
Atkins is a surname of English origin. At the time of the British Census of 1881 , its frequency was highest in Buckinghamshire , followed by Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Rutland, Kent, Dorset, Norfolk and Berkshire. The name Atkins may refer to:* Al Atkins, British singer* M...
, and Aitkins, represents "son"; an in consequence, that these names equate to Atkinson
Atkinson (surname)
Atkinson is an English-language surname. The name is derived from a patronymic form of the Middle English Atkin. The personal name Atkin is one of many pet forms of the name Adam....
.
In 1946, Black noted that, according to John Paterson (in 1867), the surname Aiken was an old name in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Ballantrae
Ballantrae
Ballantrae is a community in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The name probably comes from the Scottish Gaelic Baile na Tràgha, meaning the "town by the beach"....
, Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
; and that "in Orkney it is believed to have replaced the Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name Haakon and its derivative Hakonson." Black also noted that the surname Aiken (and its variations: Aitken, Aitkin, Aitkins, Atkin, Atkins) have been stated by others to be derived from the names Atty ("little Atty"), and Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
; although Black stated that he himself disagreed with this derivation, in favour of a diminutive of Adam (above).
In 1857, David MacGregor Peter noted a traditional derivation for the surname Aikman. The account states that the name Aikman originated from an officer who, while commanding troops that besieged Macbeth
Macbeth of Scotland
Mac Bethad mac Findlaích was King of the Scots from 1040 until his death...
in Dunsinane
Dunsinane Hill
Dunsinane Hill is near the village of Collace in Perthshire, Scotland. It is mentioned in Shakespeare's play Macbeth.It has the remains of two early forts. This is believed to be the site of a battle where Malcolm Canmore defeated Macbeth in 1054...
Castle, told them to attack using oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
branches. According to Peter, this officer was said to have been the progenitor of all Aikmans and Aikens in Scotland. Black, however, noted that this story was too silly to believe. In 1908, William Cutter noted the surname Aiken, and stated that antiquarians have derived the name from the word "aik", meaning "an oak", or "oaken". Black noted that within the heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
of the name Aiken (and variations), the use oak is merely an example of canting heraldry
Canting arms
Canting arms are heraldic bearings that represent the bearer's name in a visual pun or rebus. The term cant came into the English language from Anglo-Norman cant, meaning song or singing, from Latin cantāre, and English cognates include canticle, chant, accent, incantation and recant.Canting arms –...
.
Another possible derivation of the surname Akins, suggested by H. Amanda Robb and Andrew Chesler, as well as by Elsdon C. Smith, is that "the name was given to those who were from the area near Akin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
, a strait in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
named for King Hakon of Norway
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
." The strait, known as Kyle Akin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
, is derived from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Acain, which means "Haakon's Sound", or "Haakon's Narrows".
Ireland
In Ireland, the surname Aiken is considered to be of Scottish and English origin, and is most common in the province of UlsterUlster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. According to Robert A. Bell
Robert A. Bell
Robert A. Bell is a genealogist on Irish Scots surnames and the author of The Book of Ulster Surnames. His short stories have been published in the Belfast Telegraph, Passage 1 and The Blackstaff Book of Short Stories , and he has also contributed articles to the Belfast Review...
, Aiken is "the Scottish form of the English name Atkin, which comes from Adkin, a pet form of Adam." In the mid 19th century, the name was found to be the most popular in Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
, Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. Michael C. O'Laughlin states that families of the surname Aiken (and variants: Ekin, Aikens, Aikins, Aicken, Aitken) are mostly of Scottish and English descent. O'Laughlin states that these names originate, in most cases, to the English name Aitken. Edward MacLysaght
Edward MacLysaght
Edward MacLysaght was one of the foremost genealogists of twentieth century Ireland. His numerous books on Irish surnames built upon the work of Patrick Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames and made him well known to all those researching their family past.-Early life:Edward was born in Flax Bourton...
also notes that the Irish surname Aiken is the Scottish form of the English Aitken. According to William and Mary Durning, the names Aiken, Akins, and Eakin came to Ireland from Scotland during the Ulster Plantation
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
of the 17th century where they were transplanted to the Irish counties of Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
respectively.
In Ireland, the surname Aiken has also been used as an Anglicised form of an Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
surname. O'Laughlin, and MacLysaght, note that Aiken as an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó hAodhagáin (frequently Anglicised as O'Hagan). The Irish Ó hAodhagáin means "descendant of Aodhagán". The personal name Aodhagán is a double diminutive of the name Aodh, which means "fire". Historically, the O'Hagan
O'Hagan
- Family History :O'Hagan is an Irish surname originally from the pre 10th century Old Gaelic O'hAodhagain, meaning "Little Fire From The Sun, being derived from Aodh the pagan sun god and Og meaning young, they are the "male descendant of Aodh" the pagan sun god, a personal name meaning "fire"...
s were centred in the County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
; their chief was seated at Tullahogue, and had the hereditary right of inaugurating The O'Neill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
, as overlord of Ulster.
According to the Durnings, the surname Akin can also be an Anglicisation of the Irish name Ó hÓgáin (O'Eakin). The O'Eakins are stated to descend from the Irish Ui Tuirtre, who were descended from Fiach Tort, son of Colla Uais
Colla Uais
Colla Uais , son of Eochaid Doimlén, son of Cairbre Lifechair, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His given name was Cairell...
of the Oirghialla
Airgíalla
Airgíalla or Airgialla was the name of an Irish federation and Irish kingdom which first formed around the 7th century...
which were the descendants of Eochaid Doimlén, son of Cairbre Lifechair
Cairbre Lifechair
Cairbre Lifechair , son of Cormac mac Airt, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He came to the throne after the death of Eochaid Gonnat...
, son of Cormac Ulfhada
Cormac mac Airt
Cormac mac Airt , also known as Cormac ua Cuinn or Cormac Ulfada , was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland...
and his wife Etaine, whose ancestry goes back another forty-nine generations in Ireland to its earliest Gaelic founders, the Milesians
Milesians (Irish)
Milesians are a people figuring in Irish mythology. The descendants of Míl Espáine, they were the final inhabitants of Ireland, and were believed to represent the Goidelic Celts.-Myth:...
. MacLysaght notes that although the surname Aicken is generally of Scottish origin (as diminutive of Adam), it is also possibly an Anglicised form of the Irish Ó h-Aogáin.
History
According to Black, the first recorded appearance of the Scottish surname Aiken (and its variations: Aitken, Aitkin, Aitkins, Atkin, Atkins) occurs in the year 1405, in the court records of a Scottish sea merchant named "John of Akyne", who sought restitution for having been illegally detained for eight weeks by "Laurence Tuttebury of HulleKingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
". According to Black, the "of" in John's name is an error. The first recorded use of the Aiken (and above variants) as a Scottish forename occurs in about the 1340, when "Atkyn de Barr", and "Atkyn Blake", are recorded in Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
. The surnames and given names have undergone a variety of transformations in spelling over the years, and in consequence there are many variant forms of the name still in use today.
Distribution
A total of 77 Akins appear in the 1881 Census of Great Britain, and was ranked the 3,502nd most common surname. A total of 220 Akins appear in the 1996 Electoral roll of Great Britain, and is ranked 3,835th most common surname. In Griffith's ValuationGriffith's valuation
Griffith's Valuation was a survey of Ireland completed in 1868. -Griffith's background:Richard John Griffith started to value land in Scotland, where he spent two years in 1806-1807 valuing terrain through the examination of its soils...
, a property survey of Ireland from 1848–1864, records 3 households of Akins in Ireland; 2 in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and 1 in County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Variations of the name were said to have been common in the parish of Ballantrae, as well as in the counties of Aberdeen, Fife, Lanark, Perth, Angus, Renfrew, Ayr, Dumbarton, Stirling and the Lothians. In Ireland the name is common only in Ulster, where many Scots colonists settled in the 17th century.
There were 16,860 people with the surname Akins recorded in the 2000 United States Census. It ranked as the 1,960th most common surname in the country. The surname was made up 65.59% White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
s, 30.34% Black Americans, 0.26% Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
s and Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
s, 0.73% American Indians and Alaska Natives
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.7% Multiracial American
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
s, and 1.39% Hispanic American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
s.
Genetics
Research into the Y-chromosone DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
of Akins males who voluntarily submitted for genetic testing has revealed that a majority of those tested are patrilineally descended from various ancestors belonging to Haplogroup
Haplogroup
In the study of molecular evolution, a haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor having the same single nucleotide polymorphism mutation in both haplotypes. Because a haplogroup consists of similar haplotypes, this is what makes it possible to predict a haplogroup...
R1b1b2.
List of persons with the surname
- Chris AkinsChris AkinsChristopher Drew Akins is a former American football safety and special teams player. He played in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and the Miami Dolphins.-High school years:Akins attended Hall High School in Little...
(born 1976), American football player - Claude AkinsClaude AkinsClaude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
(1926–1994), American actor - Ellen AkinsEllen AkinsEllen Akins is an American novelist from South Bend, Indiana. She graduated from LaSalle High School in 1977, earning a BA in film production at the University of Southern California before working with Sydney Pollack. After losing interest in the film business, Akins enrolled in the creative...
American novelist - Frank AkinsFrank AkinsFrank Scott Akins was an American football running back who played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at Washington State University and was drafted in the 30th round of the 1943 NFL Draft....
(born 1919), American football player - James AkinsJames Akins (tubist)James Akins is an American tubist, music professor, and both a player and maker of Native American Flutes.-Life and career:Akins studied the tuba with Ronald Bishop, Cleveland Orchestra; Arnold Jacobs, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Robert Ryker, Montreal Symphony; Fredrick Schaufele Jr, Lakewood High...
, American classical tubistTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the... - James E. AkinsJames E. AkinsJames Elmer Akins was the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from September, 1973 to February, 1976, just in time to serve during the 1973 Oil Crisis of October, 1973 - March, 1974. Akins was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and on the advisory council of the Iran Policy Committee...
(1926–2010), U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia - Rhett AkinsRhett AkinsThomas Rhett Akins Sr. is an American country singer and songwriter. Signed to Decca Records between 1994 and 1997, he released two albums for the label , followed by 1998's What Livin's All About on MCA Nashville. Friday Night in Dixie was released in 2002 on Audium Entertainment...
(born 1969), American singer-songwriter - Thomas Beamish AkinsThomas Beamish AkinsThomas Beamish Akins was a Canadian lawyer, historian, archivist, and author who was appointed Nova Scotia's first Commissioner of Public Records from 1857 until his death in 1891....
(1806–1891) Canadian historian - Virgil AkinsVirgil AkinsVirgil Akins was an American boxer who won the undisputed Welterweight Championship of the World in 1958. Nicknamed ‘Honeybear’, Akins was the first World Champion boxer from St. Louis.-Career:...
(born 1928), American boxer - Zoe AkinsZoe AkinsZoë Akins was an American playwright, poet, and author.- Early years :Born in Humansville, Missouri, Akins was educated in Illinois and later in St. Louis, where she began her writing career...
(1886–1958), American playwright