Jenkin
JEN-kin
A medieval diminutive of John that came to mean “little John.”
Meaning
The excerpted sources treat Jenkin as an English nickname form built from John, with the underlying Hebrew name meaning “grace of the Lord.” In medieval English usage, -kin often made an affectionate or diminutive form, so Jenkin functioned as a “little John” kind of name.
Origin
EnglishHebrewmasculine
Fun fact
Bardsley lists Jenkin alongside other old nickname forms like Watkin, Simkin, and Wilkin, showing how common these diminutives once were.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature.