Aikenhead
Aikenhead Tartan Collection
Honour an old Lanarkshire name with the Aikenhead collection — an armigerous Lowland family from the barony of Aikenhead, "the head of the oaks," who wear a district tartan in place of a sett of their own.
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About the Aikenhead Tartan
The Aikenhead name is a locational one, taken from the old barony of Aikenhead in Lanarkshire. The name reads as "the head of the oaks" — from the Scots aik (oak) and head (a hill or the head of a stream or valley) — and the family arms, three acorns on a silver field, play on that meaning. Because there is no Aikenhead clan tartan, the name is traditionally worn with a district tartan of its home region, usually the Galloway or the Stirling & Bannockburn district sett.
This collection celebrates the Aikenhead name and its deep Lanarkshire roots, bringing a fitting district tartan into apparel, accessories, home decor and heritage gifts for those who carry the name or trace their line to the old barony.
Aikenhead District Tartan Colours
As Aikenhead is worn through a district tartan, the collection leans on a natural, woodland-inspired palette of greens and browns lifted by gold and cream — tones that suit a name meaning "the head of the oaks" and the leafy Lanarkshire country from which it springs.
Who Is This Collection For?
The Aikenhead collection is a meaningful choice for the Aikenhead family, descendants of Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area, and anyone drawn to an old Lowland name with a quietly poetic meaning rooted in the oak.
- Aikenhead family members
- Lanarkshire & Glasgow roots
- Lovers of old Lowland names
- Family gatherings
- Birthday & holiday gifts
- Everyday tartan style
Aikenhead Family Heritage
The Aikenhead name first appears in record in 1296, when Gilbert de Lakenheud of Lanark rendered homage for his lands. In 1372 Robert II confirmed the lands of Akynheuide in the sheriffdom of Lanark, and through the 14th and 15th centuries the family served in local office — William de Akynheued was bailie of Rutherglen in 1376, and a later William was a notary public in Irvine in 1444. The name has remained most common in Lanarkshire, and especially around Glasgow, ever since.
Aikenhead is an armigerous family, recognised in Scots heraldry but without a clan chief, and its arms of three green acorns on silver echo the "head of the oaks" meaning of the name. Among those who carried it were Thomas Aikenhead, an Edinburgh student of the 1690s, and Mother Mary Aikenhead, founder of the Irish Religious Sisters of Charity — a name that travelled far from its Lanarkshire barony.
Aikenhead Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Aikenhead name, the tartan its members wear, and why Aikenhead products make meaningful heritage gifts.
Does Aikenhead have its own tartan?
No. Aikenhead is an armigerous family without a clan tartan, so the name is traditionally worn with a district tartan of its home region — usually the Galloway or the Stirling & Bannockburn district sett.
What does the name Aikenhead mean?
It means roughly "the head of the oaks," from the Scots aik (oak) and head (a hill or the head of a valley or stream), after the barony of Aikenhead in Lanarkshire.
Where is the Aikenhead family from?
From the old barony of Aikenhead in Lanarkshire. The name remains most common in Lanarkshire and around Glasgow.
What are the Aikenhead arms?
The historic arms of Aikenhead of that Ilk are three green acorns on a silver (argent) field — a play on the "oak" meaning of the name.
Who can wear the Aikenhead district tartan?
Anyone of the Aikenhead name, or with Lanarkshire roots, can wear a suitable district tartan associated with the family's home region.
Is Aikenhead tartan a good gift?
Yes. District-tartan Aikenhead products make a meaningful gift for the Aikenhead family and for those with Lanarkshire or Glasgow heritage.
Carry the Aikenhead Name with Pride
Discover district tartan apparel, accessories and gifts for the Aikenhead family — honouring an old Lanarkshire barony and a name that means the head of the oaks.
View Aikenhead Tartan Products