Pickens name

[sonorkeith]

Anyone here know of any "Pickens" from Scotland? I have done a bit of homework on this and found the name traces back to Ayrshire, but thats as far as I can get. I'm trying to find out if the family name is associated with any specific tartan. Thanks for any info, Keith

[cessna152towser]

I was in school with a David Picken in Paisley, Scotland.
Picken and Pickens are found as surnames in the West of Scotland though I do not know their roots.

[sonorkeith]

Thanks for the quick reply. Oddly enough, I too am a pilot, although I am just a private pilot. I earned my ticket about 5 years ago with the interest in becoming a commercial pilot. Vision problems(color vision problems) have thus far prevented this. Anyway, thanks again for the info. I was told that it is believed that the Pickens were part of the Cunningham Clan, but I have not been able to prove this yet.

[davidlpope]

Keith,

The name shows up in various forms in old documents: Pickin, Pickane, Picken, Pikan, Picking. "Pickens" seemed to be the normalized form once in the US. It's a historic name in South Carolina.

Ayrshire has a tartan that is quite attractive. Also, your Pickens ancestors may have come to the US via Northern Ireland, as mine did. In that case you might choose to wear the Ulster tartan or one of the new House of Edgar County tartans.

Not to rain on your parade, but I doubt that you'll find a tartan that has genuine ties to your ancestors- it's a lowland name. The modern (and for the large part American) notion that all Scots should be linked to a specific clan tartan does not accurately reflect the cultural distinctions that existed between Highland Scots and those in the Lowlands.

That being said, there are plenty of beautiful district tartans out there to choose from that are often more historical or significant than the "clan tartans" that exist today. Find one that you like and enjoy wearing it. I think that you'll find that not having a Highland surname doesn't stand in your way- ask Hamish Bicknell, Matt Newsome, or Barb Tewksbury...

Cordially,

David Pope (a decidedly non-Highland name)

[macwilkin]

Keith,

The name shows up in various forms in old documents: Pickin, Pickane, Picken, Pikan, Picking. "Pickens" seemed to be the normalized form once in the US. It's a historic name in South Carolina.

Ayrshire has a tartan that is quite attractive. Also, your Pickens ancestors may have come to the US via Northern Ireland, as mine did. In that case you might choose to wear the Ulster tartan or one of the new House of Edgar County tartans.

Not to rain on your parade, but I doubt that you'll find a tartan that has genuine ties to your ancestors- it's a lowland name. The modern (and for the large part American) notion that all Scots should be linked to a specific clan tartan does not accurately reflect the cultural distinctions that existed between Highland Scots and those in the Lowlands.

That being said, there are plenty of beautiful district tartans out there to choose from that are often more historical or significant than the "clan tartans" that exist today. Find one that you like and enjoy wearing it. I think that you'll find that not having a Highland surname doesn't stand in your way- ask Hamish Bicknell, Matt Newsome, or Barb Tewksbury...

Cordially,

David Pope (a decidedly non-Highland name)

Spot on, David.

Information on the Ayrshire tartan can be found here:

http://www.kilmarnock.org.uk/tartan.html

Regards,

Todd

[sirdaniel1975]

I hope this helps.

From The Surnames of Scotland by George F. Black; p. 661:

PICKEN. A surname found mainly in Ayrshire. From the NF. personal name Picon (Pi<c>quin). In England the name is found mainly in Nottinghamshire as Pickin (Guppy, p. 535) Andrew Picken was a tailor in Edinburgh, 1621 (Edinb.Marr.), and Archibald Picken was heir of Andrew Picken, merchant burgess of Edinburgh, 1624 (Inquis., 1107). John Pikkan appears in Kilbarchan, 1673 (Kilbarchan), John Pikkin was a merchant in Kirktoun, 1682 (Corsehill, p. 157), and Thomas Picken, a rebel in Kilblain paroch, Kintyre, 1685 (Commons, p. 1) General Andrew Pickens of American Revolutionary was the son of Scots emigrant whose are ancestors are said to have been driven out of France by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.

[cessna152towser]

I too am a pilot, although I am just a private pilot. I earned my ticket about 5 years ago with the interest in becoming a commercial pilot. Vision problems(color vision problems) have thus far prevented this.

I also am only a private pilot. Would have like to have flown commercially but ended up with an expensive hobby instead!