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What's In a Name?
Hopkins: English Patronymic name...At
the time of the conquest, the Normans brought the name
Robert to England, and it had several pet forms that
became the basis for surnames. Rob (which we still use),
Hob, and Dob, were all pet names for Robert. Hobbs and
Hobson were drawn from Hob, and Hopkins was yet
another variation.
Hobb was a pet form of the name
Robert (where there is a mention of Hobb). The Norman
invasion in 1066 brought many names to England, but the
locals had trouble pronouncing the Norman version of a
preceding "R" so they used "H" in
many cases, which was easier for them to say. That why
Dick became a nickname for Rick (Richard), and Hobb was
substituted for Rob (Robert). Hob, Hopp, Hobbin, Hoblin,
Hobling, Hoblyn are variations. Patronymic forms include
Hobbes, Hobbs, Hobbiss, Hobbis, Hobson, Hopson, Hobbins.
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It is said from good authority that the
original name of HOPKINS came from the Danish Norwegians
that forced a landing on the north east coast of England
in the early 1500, contesting with forces of the united
English and French Heugenots expatriated from France and
finally made a settlement in and near Coventry,
Warwickshire, England.
The Danish name was HOPKIN which in the
Coventry line became HOPKINS, from which Stephen, the
famed Mayflower branch, came.
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The Hopkins name is connected on both
sides of the Atlantic as prominent in the Ministry, Legal
Bar, Navy and Army circles and in civic matters. The
first ranking official of the US Navy was a commodore (no
Admirals then) named Esek Hopkins of Scituate, Rhode
Island, was a fearless, firey temper and at one time
damned Congress for dilitoriness in preparing for a raid
upon the English commerce and was demoted. The English
Navy had several high Naval officers named Hopkins, two
or more Admirals one of whom went down with his ship in
the Mediterranean Ocean while training.
The name is well known in the legal and church
professions on both sides of the Atlantic, also are known
as military men the wars of Europe as well as America.
Unostentatious, quiet and law abiding but fearless and
outspoken, contentious for right, will not be trodden on
or subservient to any faction or person and generally
able to care for themselves. Some of them having been
philanthropists, endowing Colleges of learning as well as
medical. Originally Presbyterians, some became Methodists.
Some Nonconformists and all active wherever they took
part. Once enlisted in a cause, they were true to the
point of self-sacrifice, quick to resent any injury or
insult, sometimes used strong language to emphasize, but,
held no enmity long. Esek Hopkins of ?????4 was treated
shamefully by Congress, and gave to others credit for
Hopkin’s brilliant successes in his Bermuda captures
of English supplies of munitions of war and ship along
with the Governor of the Military Post, simply because he
told the truth in calling them names which today "nincompoops"
and the same language would apply to men in both branches
of Congress for the last twenty years, and much stronger
language would apply today to the Norrises, Nyes,
LaFollettes, Blaines and plenty of others of both Houses
of Congress.5 I have read in old English literature of
the hanging and beheading of Hopkinses, McKinleys, Blairs
for holding to their principles of Presbyterianism, but,
have no knowledge of any of the line of later date being
so treated, still, there may have been and others that
should be, for they are not immune, as strong tempers get
people in much trouble.
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