Y-DNA project for surname HANKINS. Patrilineal surname useage began with the medieval western European nobility in the 11th century. Common useage, however, across all social classes did not occur until the 13th century. Come join us if you have the surname HANKINS or a close spelling variant, and discover where your lineage fits, and what exciting discoveries await you. Our goal is to compliment the existing paper trail in developing a more complete historical map of the HANKINS surname around the world beginning with the emigration from western Europe in the 17th century. We encourage anyone with surname HANKINS or close spelling variation to consider joining our project.