Atkinson
Family name
Meaning	Adam ("man")
Region of origin	England
Language of origin	[[English language|English]]
Related names	Acheson, Aitchison, Aicheson, and Aitcheson, Adcock, Atcock
Footnotes: Frequency Comparisons[1]

Contents 1 Possible Origins 2 Notable surnames 2.1 A 2.2 B 2.3 C 2.4 D 2.5 E 2.6 F 2.7 G 2.8 H 2.9 I 2.10 J 2.11 K 2.12 L 2.13 M 2.14 N 2.15 P 2.16 R 2.17 S 2.18 T 2.19 V 2.20 W 3 References 4 See also

Atkinson is a surname of English^[2] origin. It derives from the pet name Atkin, which is a diminutive of Adam.^{[citation needed]}

The name corresponds to the Scottish name Aitchison. The name Atkinson is particularly common in Northern England. At the time of the British Census of 1881 ^[3], its relative frequency was highest in Westmorland (19.8 times the British average), followed by Cumberland, County Durham, Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and Rutland. In Ireland the name is common only in Ulster and particularly in counties Antrim and Down. Some Atkinsons are descended from Planters, although the name was recorded in Ireland before that period.^[4]

Acheson is a variation of the name in Scotland and the Border region, having been originally spelled Atzinson (with the 'z' being pronounced as 'y', as in yet).^[4]

[edit] Possible Origins

Geoffrey Hodgson ^[5] suggests a possible origin of the name. From place-name and other evidence we know that Cumbria was settled by Norse invaders in the tenth century. Could 'Adam’s kin' be the name given by the Norse settlers to the British inhabitants? The British had been Christian for several centuries when the pagan Vikings arrived. The incomers would have enquired of the British as to their origins. The British would have reported their Biblical belief that they were descended from Adam. The names 'Atkin' and 'Atkinson' would have then evolved. Atkinson would thus be an alter ego of the Hodgson surname – signifying British and Christian origins but one formed by, and owing its very existence to, contact with the semi-pagan Scandinavian settlers. Strikingly, DNA evidence reported by Hodgson (2008) supports this argument. While Atkinsons and Hodgsons both come from the same region of England, Atkinson DNA is more indicative of indigenous British descent, while Hodgson DNA has a much greater proportion of Norse elements.

[edit] Notable surnames

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

• Al Atkinson, American football player
• Alan Atkinson, Australian Rules footballer
• Alfred Atkinson, British soldier
• Anthony Barnes Atkinson, British economist
• Arthur Atkinson, several people
• Arthur K. Atkinson, American railroad president
• Ashlie Atkinson, American actress

[edit] B

• Bert Atkinson, fictional character from EastEnders
• Bill Atkinson, creator of Apple Computer's QuickDraw, MacPaint and HyperCard
• Bill Atkinson (baseball), Major League Baseball pitcher
• Brodie Atkinson, Australian rules footballer
• Brooks Atkinson, New York Times theatre critic
• Bruce Atkinson, Australian politician
• Bruce Atkinson (poker player), British poker player

[edit] C

• Chloe Atkinson, fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale
• Chris Atkinson, Australian rally driver
• Colin Atkinson, British cricketer and teacher

[edit] D

• Dalian Atkinson, British footballer
• Damon Atkinson, Drummer
• Dan Atkinson, British journalist and author
• Denis Atkinson, Barbadian cricketer

[edit] E

• Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson, American writer
• Eric Atkinson, Barbadian cricketer, brother of Denis
• Eugene Atkinson, American politician

[edit] F

• Fred Atkinson, American Director of Education in the Philippines (1900 - 1902)
• Frederick Atkinson (born 1919), retired British civil servant

[edit] G

• Gemma Atkinson, British actress
• George Atkinson, one of several people
• Graham Atkinson, British footballer, brother of Ronald Frederick "Big Ron" Atkinson

[edit] H

• Harry Atkinson, New Zealand premier
• Harry E. Atkinson, American politician
• Henry Atkinson, several people

[edit] I

• Isabel Atkinson (1891-1968), British-Canadian philanthropist and women's rights activist

[edit] J

• Jack Adams Atkinson Digital Artist, NYC
• James Atkinson, one of several people
• Janelle Atkinson (b. 1982), Jamaican freestyle swimmer
• Jerry Atkinson, American politician
• John Atkinson, one of several people
• Joseph E. Atkinson, Canadian newspaper editor
• Juliette Atkinson, American tennis player
• June Atkinson, American politician

[edit] K

• Kate Atkinson, British writer
• Ken Atkinson, Canadian politician

[edit] L

• Lawrence Atkinson, British artist
• Louisa Atkinson, Australian writer

[edit] M

• Mark Atkinson, Australian cricketer
• Mark Atkinson (footballer), New Zealand association football player
• Martin Atkinson, English football referee
• Maudie Atkinson, fictional character from Harper Lee's novel [[To Kill A Mockingbird]]
• Michael Atkinson, Australian politician

[edit] N

• Neville Atkinson, Royal Navy pilot
• Norman Atkinson (born 1923), British politician

[edit] P

• Paul Atkinson, one of several people
• Peter Atkinson, British politician

[edit] R

• Richard Atkinson, one of several people
• Rick Atkinson, American writer and editor
• Robert Chatham Atkinson, U.S. administrator
• Robert d'Escourt Atkinson, physicist
• Robert Atkinson (architect)
• Robert Atkinson (footballer)
• Ron Atkinson ("Big Ron"), British football manager
• Rowan Atkinson, British comedian, known for his role as Mr. Bean
• Ruth Atkinson, American comics artist

[edit] S

• Sallyanne Atkinson, Australian politician
• Shane Atkinson, New Zealand spammer
• Steve Atkinson, Canadian ice hockey player
• Steve Atkinson (cricketer) (born 1952), English cricketer

[edit] T

• Ted Atkinson, Canadian jockey
• Terry Atkinson, British artist
• Ti-Grace Atkinson, American feminist writer

[edit] V

• Vanessa Atkinson, squash player

[edit] W

• William Stephen Atkinson, Indian lepidopterist
• William Walker Atkinson (Yogi Ramacharaka), American writer

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Acheson (surname)
• Aitchison
• Atkinson (disambiguation)

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