Wilkins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Person typically known for notable contributions in a certain field or community
2. A surname linked to historical figures or contemporary individuals
3. A name that may refer to a specific character in literature or media

Etymology: "Wilkins" is a patronymic surname, and most of its bearers got it the same way many English surnames did: from a pet form of a personal name. Middle English had "Wilkin," a diminutive of "Will," itself short for "William," with the suffix "-kin" meaning "little." So "Wilkins" originally meant "son of little Will," or roughly "Will's boy." The name has a second, more surprising source for a large share of its bearers. In Wales, "Wilkyn" appears as a form of the surname, and it traces back to Middle English "Wylcolyna" or "Witcoline," which in turn comes from Latin "Wintona," the Roman name for the city now known as Winchester. Winchester is also the origin of the place name Winton. In these families, the name began as a reference to a place rather than a father's first name, and the same spelling ended up covering two unrelated origins.