Wilkens
A surname built from the old Germanic personal name Wilken, itself a diminutive of William.
The #8,114 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,562 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wilkens is a patronymic surname formed from the given name Wilken or Wilk(e)n, which is a diminutive of William. The deeper root of William is the Germanic name built from elements meaning “will” or “desire” and “helmet” or “protection.” In practice, Wilkens means “son of Wilken” or “descendant of Wilken,” rather than referring directly to a place or occupation.
History
The surname is found in English and especially Low German/Dutch naming traditions, where diminutive and patronymic forms such as Wilken, Wilkens, Wilke, and Wilkins developed side by side. The historical sources also link it with forms like Wilkin, Wilkins, and Wilkinson, all ultimately from William. In North American records, Wilkens also appears among German-American and Pennsylvania German families, reflecting later migration and surname retention.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname dictionaries often treated Wilkens as a near-equivalent of Wilkins, because both trace back to the same old diminutive family of William-derived names.
From the historical record
“2 for Willock, q.v. WILKENS = Wilkins, q.v. WILKERSON for Wilkinson, q.v. WILKES, WiLK(E)'s (Son) : v. Wilk(e. WILKEYl = Wilk(e (q.v.) + the E. dim. suff. WILKIE ] -{e)y, -ie. WILKIN (Eng.) the I3th-cent. Wylekin, Wilekin, late- I2th- cent. Wil{l)ekin, Wilechin, a double dim. of William, q.v. [£. (double)”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)