Eckles History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Eckles has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in Eccles which was in both Norfolk and a parish near Manchester.

Early Origins of the Eckles family

The surname Eckles was first found in Lancashire where the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332 listed: Adam de Ecclis, of Heaton with Halliwell; and Robert de Ecclis, of Pilkington. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Richard Eccles, Cambridgeshire. 1

Eccles cakes, the round cake filled with currants and made from flaky pastry with butter originates in the English town of Eccles which was originally in Cheshire, then Lancashire and now in Greater Manchester. As to who was the originator of the famous pastry, there is much debate, but they are today sold throughout Lancashire and much of the United Kingdom.

Further to the north in Scotland, "there seems to have been two separate families of this name, one taking their surname from Eccles in Berwickshire, the other from Eccles in Dumfriesshire. Adam de Eccles witnessed a charter by Grim, son of Guido, to the Abbey of Melrose, c. 1170 (Seats Supp., 329). Johan de Eccles of Berwickshire rendered homage in 1296, and Sir Mathew del Ecles of Dumfriesshire was juror in 1304." 2

Early History of the Eckles family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eckles research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1618, 1659, 1668, 1670, 1683, 1735 and 1742 are included under the topic Early Eckles History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckles Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Eckles have been found, including Eccles, Ecles, Eckles, Eyckles, Accles, Ackles and others.

Early Notables of the Eckles family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Mathew Eccles of Dumfriesshire; Solomon Eccles (Eagle) (1618-1683), an English composer; and his son, John Eccles (1668-1735), an...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Eckles Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckles Ranking

In the United States, the name Eckles is the 11,079^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Eckles family to Ireland

Some of the Eckles family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eckles migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Eckles, or a variant listed above:

Eckles Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Eckles, aged 12, who arrived in New York, NY in 1775 4
William Eckles, who arrived in North Carolina in 1775 4
William Eckles, aged 40, who arrived in New York, NY in 1775 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Eckles (post 1700) +

Stanley H. Eckles, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 1972 5
Penn Eckles, American Republican politician, Member of Iowa State House of Representatives from Hancock County; Elected 1950 5
James S. Eckles, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1868 5
James H. Eckles, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1892, 1904; Delegate to Gold Democrat National Convention from Illinois, 1896 5
J. R. Eckles, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 1912 5
Isabel L. Eckles, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Mexico, 1924 5
A. H. Eckles, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1928 5

The Eckles Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Se defendendo
Motto Translation: In his own defence.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html