Jenkin
Encyclopedia
Jenkin, of Franconian
origin, is translated in English
as "Little John
" or more literally "John the little."
in the Latin and Germanic referring to the Bible
name John.)
The name "Jenkin" or "Jenken" first use in England is seen as early as 1086 as a diminutive of the English form of John. It was often translated from the Dutch/French as "John the younger" or seen as "John Jenken." The non-diminutive Jehan/Jehannes was also translated into English as John. When Jen/Jean is present, usually given to a younger child, Jehan/Jehannes is listed as "John the elder" but, never translated as "Big John."
Confusion can arise when the sire is listed as John, a son is John (the elder) and another son is John (the younger). Today, in English the term John, Senior is used for the father, while the names of John can use Junior or numeric designation (i.e. "II"). "Jon
" the phonetic of John is sometimes seen but only in males as is the younger male nickname of "Johnny." The name "Jean
" once pronounced "Jon" in English and once a male name became has become since the 16th century a female name in English from the French Jeanne.
variant of Jenkins
commonly seen in Cornish
and in English
(mainly Devon
) ancestry. Its translation is "Little John
" or more literally "John the little." It first was found in Monmouthshire
in the Domesday Book
of 1086 and some say earlier than 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England.
Its common English use, eventually becoming a surname, may have come as a generic and now obsolete nickname as the "Little Johns." This may have been a 12th Century reference to the Cornish people (and later in reference to some Welsh) because of the relative smaller stature or more likely as a derogatory for the subjects or illegitimate offspring of King John of England
, Earl of Cornwall
and Gloucester
(1166–1216).
Jenkin or Jenkins and its surname variants should not be confused as a shortened Jenkinson and its variants which refers to the son of "Little John."
Low Franconian languages
Low Franconian, Low Frankish, or Istvaeonic, is a group of several West Germanic languages spoken in the Netherlands, northern Belgium , in the northern department of France, in western Germany , as well as in Suriname, South Africa and Namibia that originally descended from Old Frankish.- The...
origin, is translated in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as "Little John
Little John
Little John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
" or more literally "John the little."
Forename History
Jen/Jean being a diminutive of Jehan/Jehannes* (John/Johan*) followed by kin/ken meaning little creating Jenkin or Jenken. *(Referred to as JohannesJohannes
Johannes is the Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek name Ιωάννης , itself derived from the Hebrew name Yehochanan meaning "Yahweh is gracious". The name became popular in Northern Europe, especially in Germany...
in the Latin and Germanic referring to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
name John.)
The name "Jenkin" or "Jenken" first use in England is seen as early as 1086 as a diminutive of the English form of John. It was often translated from the Dutch/French as "John the younger" or seen as "John Jenken." The non-diminutive Jehan/Jehannes was also translated into English as John. When Jen/Jean is present, usually given to a younger child, Jehan/Jehannes is listed as "John the elder" but, never translated as "Big John."
Confusion can arise when the sire is listed as John, a son is John (the elder) and another son is John (the younger). Today, in English the term John, Senior is used for the father, while the names of John can use Junior or numeric designation (i.e. "II"). "Jon
Jon
Jon is a shortened form of the common given name Jonathan, meaning "God has given", or an alternate spelling of John, meaning "God is gracious". In the year of 2008, Jon was the 527th most popular name in the United States; its popularity has declined steadily since its peak in 1968 as #65...
" the phonetic of John is sometimes seen but only in males as is the younger male nickname of "Johnny." The name "Jean
Jean
Jean may refer to:* Jeans, pants, trousers or high waist overalls made from denimPeople* Jean , pronounced , is the French form of John* Jean , pronounced and sometimes , is the Scottish form of Jane...
" once pronounced "Jon" in English and once a male name became has become since the 16th century a female name in English from the French Jeanne.
Surname History
Jenkin is a surnameSurname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
variant of Jenkins
Jenkins (surname)
Jenkins is a surname that originated in Cornwall, England, but came to be popular in southern Wales. The name "Jenkin" originally meant "little John" or "son of John"...
commonly seen in Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(mainly Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
) ancestry. Its translation is "Little John
Little John
Little John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...
" or more literally "John the little." It first was found in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 and some say earlier than 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England.
Its common English use, eventually becoming a surname, may have come as a generic and now obsolete nickname as the "Little Johns." This may have been a 12th Century reference to the Cornish people (and later in reference to some Welsh) because of the relative smaller stature or more likely as a derogatory for the subjects or illegitimate offspring of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
, Earl of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
(1166–1216).
Jenkin or Jenkins and its surname variants should not be confused as a shortened Jenkinson and its variants which refers to the son of "Little John."
Jenkin Surnames
- Albert JenkinAlbert JenkinAlbert Mortimer Jenkin was an English-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Swansea, county rugby for Glamorgan and international rugby for Wales.-Personal life:...
, Wales international rugby player - Bernard JenkinBernard JenkinBernard Christison Jenkin is a politician in the United Kingdom, and the current Member of Parliament for Harwich and North Essex...
, British politician - Fleeming JenkinFleeming JenkinHenry Charles Fleeming Jenkin was Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, remarkable for his versatility. Known to the world as the inventor of telpherage, he was an electrician and cable engineer, economist, lecturer, linguist, critic, actor, dramatist and artist...
, British engineer - Guy JenkinGuy JenkinGuy Jenkin is a comedy writer who is best known for working on sitcoms and comedies such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Jeffrey Archer: The Truth and Outnumbered...
, British comedy writer - Kenneth Hamilton JenkinKenneth Hamilton JenkinAlfred Kenneth Hamilton Jenkin was best known as a historian with a particular interest in Cornish mining, publishing The Cornish Miner, now a classic, in 1927.-Birth and education:...
, British writer on Cornish topics - Patrick Jenkin, British politician
- Richard JenkinRichard JenkinRichard Garfield Jenkin , was a Cornish politician who was involved with Cornish nationalism projects as one of the founder members of the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow. and a Grand Bard of the Gorseth Kernow ....
, Cornish language scholar and MK politician - Robert Jenkin, British entrepreneur with interests in Bulgaria
- Brown Jenkin, the “small, furry thing” with a human face from the horror story The Dreams in the Witch HouseThe Dreams in the Witch House"The Dreams in the Witch House" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft, part of the Cthulhu Mythos genre of horror fiction. Written in January/February 1932, it was first published in the July 1933 issue of Weird Tales.-Inspiration:...
by H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
.
See also
- The surname of JenkinsJenkins (surname)Jenkins is a surname that originated in Cornwall, England, but came to be popular in southern Wales. The name "Jenkin" originally meant "little John" or "son of John"...
. - JunkinJunkinJunkin is a surname, and may refer to* George Junkin, Presbyterian minister and president of Lafayette College* John Junkin, British comic actor and writer* Mike Junkin, American football player* Trey Junkin, American football player...
- Little JohnLittle JohnLittle John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...