The spelling of the word "wilkens" is a tricky one. The word is likely to be pronounced as "wil-kens" with the stress on the first syllable. The phonetic transcription of the word is /ˈwɪlkənz/ with the first syllable being pronounced similarly to "will" without the double L sound followed by the schwa sound. The second syllable is pronounced with the consonant K sound followed by the schwa sound and the final syllable is pronounced with its distinct vowel sound (-ens). The spelling follows the usual English pronunciation rules, although it might be confusing for non-native English speakers.
Wilkins is a surname of English origin. It is derived from the given name William, which itself is of Germanic origin. The name William is composed of the elements wil, meaning desire or will, and helm, meaning protection or helmet. Over time, the surname Wilkins evolved to denote a patronymic form, meaning son of William or descendant of William.