The change of name, Etienne to Akins, took place sometime near the end of the 1800's. There was no documentation and it was not recorded in the court system. Best I can tell they all changed at the same time but I have not found a reason for the change. There was a time that being French was not a good thing and even though they were Swiss they had a French name and spoke French. Might like to check my tree for more information or contact me, clemakins@gmail.com.