Jenkins of Wales Tartan Collection
Jenkins of Wales Tartan Collection
Celebrate the Jenkins name with a Welsh family tartan — from Jenkin, little John, a name that became one of the strongest in Glamorgan and the south Wales valleys.
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About the Jenkins of Wales Tartan
The Jenkins of Wales tartan is one of the modern Welsh family setts created in the late 1990s by Sheila Daniel at the Cambrian Woollen Mill in Powys, in collaboration with the Wales Tartan Centres, as part of a series for the commonest Welsh surnames.
These are modern designs rather than ancient patterns, and they carry no medieval clan history behind them — but they have been warmly taken up, and are worn at St David's Day gatherings, weddings and Welsh events at home and abroad.
Jenkins Tartan Pattern and Colours
This collection draws on cool teals and greens with darker lines — the colours of the Glamorgan hillsides and the rivers running down the valleys to the Severn Sea.
The Jenkins Name
Jenkins comes from Jenkin, an old diminutive of John — John with the affectionate ending kin, so little John or young John. The form came into Wales in the medieval period and passed into the patronymic system, so that a man might be ap Siencyn before fixed surnames settled the matter as Jenkins.
The name became especially numerous in Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Carmarthenshire, and grew further as the ironworks and coal pits of the south drew families down from the hill farms into the valley towns. Jenkins families are found throughout the Welsh diaspora, in the American coalfields and mining towns as much as in Wales itself.
Who Is This Collection For?
This collection is made for those of the Jenkins name, families with Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and valleys roots, Welsh mining descendants abroad and anyone who wants a tartan that names a Welsh family.
- ✓ Jenkins family and descendants
- ✓ Glamorgan and valleys roots
- ✓ Welsh coal and iron heritage
- ✓ St David's Day and Eisteddfod wear
- ✓ Welsh ancestry gifts
- ✓ Teal and green tartan style
How to Wear Jenkins Tartan
Jenkins tartan works well across caps, shirts, hoodies, scarves, ties, jackets, blankets and keepsake gifts. Its cool palette is easy to pair for St David's Day, weddings, family gatherings and everyday heritage wear.
Jenkins of Wales Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Jenkins Welsh tartan, its origins and who may wear it.
Is the Jenkins tartan ancient?
No — it is a modern Welsh family tartan from the late 1990s, designed at the Cambrian Woollen Mill in Powys.
What does the name Jenkins mean?
It comes from Jenkin, a diminutive of John — little John or young John.
Where is the name most common?
In Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Carmarthenshire, and throughout the south Wales valleys.
Do Welsh tartans have clan histories?
No — Welsh tartan is a modern tradition, and these family setts were designed in recent decades rather than handed down.
Why does the name say "of Wales"?
It identifies the design series the tartan belongs to, not any claim of ownership.
Who can wear the Jenkins tartan?
Anyone of the Jenkins name, or with a Welsh family connection.
Wear the Jenkins of Wales Tartan
Discover Jenkins tartan clothing, accessories and gifts — valley teal and hillside green for a great name of the south.
View Jenkins Tartan Clothing