iGENEA DNA Test: A Diverse Odyssey Into the Ancestral Trail of the Hopkins Surname
Family name Hopkins
Stepping into the past through a riveting iGENEA DNA journey, I've uncovered the origins and history of my surname, Hopkins. This adventure took me back to the medieval periods in England and Wales, where the name first emerged. It also revealed a tapestry of ancestry, tracing Celtic roots, a potential Welsh connection, and interestingly, a Viking footprint, signifying the interplay of diverse cultures in my lineage.
My iGENEA DNA test has unveiled a plethora of fascinating discoveries about the cultural and historical origins of my surname, Hopkins. It has taken me on an illustrative journey through time, integrating genetics with genealogy to provide a profound insight into my ancestry and heritage.
The Hopkins surname has deep roots in England and Wales, with its history stretching back to the medieval period. The name is patronymic, referring to "the son of Hopkin," which further derived from the medieval personal name "Hob," a diminutive form of "Robert," and the kinship suffix "-kin."
England, during the Middle Ages, saw the birth of the Hopkins name in its counties of Cambridgeshire and Essex. Elyas Hopkyn was recorded in 1273, in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, and this is among the earliest mention of the Hopkins surname in historical documents. Generations passed, with the lineage flourishing and expanding widely across the Atlantic to North America, where it would indelibly mark the annals of American history, particularly through figures such as Stephen Hopkins, one of the Mayflower Pilgrims, and John Hopkins, philanthropist and namesake of the renowned Johns Hopkins University.
My DNA also aligns closely with the Celtic groups of the British Isles, alluding to a possible Welsh connection. The Hopkins surname does have distinct prevalence in Wales, and it was often found among those of Welsh descent who migrated to the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The iGENEA DNA test results have also indicated significant traces of Scandinavian Viking ancestry, suggestive of the historical Norse penetrations into Britain during the late 8th and early 11th centuries. This supports the theory that some branches of the Hopkins family may indeed have Viking roots, likely cloaked in the mists of the Middle Ages.
For me, these discoveries have provided an enlightened perspective on my identity. The mixture of Celtic, Viking, and mainstream British ancestry encapsulates the extraordinary cultural richness of my lineage. Through these revelations, I feel connected in some small way to the historical figures I am descended from, and I cherish the deep roots that I now understand to be a part of my DNA.
L. Hopkins