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Account of
the Clan provided by James Pringle Weavers
AITCHESON, ACHESON, ACKERSON, AITKEN etc.,: Research into the origin, meaning and history of Scottish surnames shows all these variations derive from "son of Adam". Early Scots records indicate the most likely origin is that they came from the diminutive 'Atty' - for 'Adam', of which Aiken, Aitken, Atkin, Atkins, etc., are double diminutives. All the spelling variations in this group of names are allied to the Gordons, MacGregors, Mackintoshes and Clan Chattan, but the strongest of these is Gordon. Similarly, Adam, MacAdam and Adamson are all septs of Gordon but with such a universal name as "son of Adam" it cannot always be certain that one's ancestors did hail from Scotland. However, many will undoubtedly have association with these clans and the earliest appearance of this name (in various forms) in Scottish records is that of Johannes Ade in North Berwick in 1384 and again, in 1387, as John Atkynsoun. The same name appears again in Aberdeen in 1402 and subsequently appears frequently in Aberdeen - 1429, 1436, 1437, 1442 etc.. In Orkney and Shetland some may have come from the Norse; 'Haakon's son', via 'Awkinsone'. Robert Aitken (1734-1832) born in Dalkeith, was commended by a resolution of Congress for the printing of the Bible in the U.S.A., and a family of the same name was long connected with the Scottish Mint in the 15th and 16th centuries. Though earliest found in Forfarshire (now Angus), a family of Achesons were associated with Edinburgh, East Lothian and Berwickshire from the 15th century, and of this race Patrick Achesone who removed to Armagh in Ireland, was the father of Sir Archibald, created a Baronet of Nova Scotia in 1628, who also held lands in Ireland, and retained an elegant mansion in Edinburgh. The Achesons of Glassdrum, Argyll, are descended from this line, as are some Irish families who later settled in Pennsylvania.
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