Show ContentsLackey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first people to use the name Lackey were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived at Leckie in the county of Stirlingshire. The place name is derived from the Gaelic leac, or "flagstone," and the suffix -ach, which means "place."

Early Origins of the Lackey family

The surname Lackey was first found in the shires of Dumbarton and Stirling, derived from the barony of Leckie in the parish of Gargunnock, Stirlingshire. The first on record was "Murdoch Leckie [who] received a grant of two fourth parts of Bathewnn and Altremony from Robert III." 1 Robert III, John Stewart, was King of Scots from 1390 to his death in 1406. From this early recording, we must move to the 16th and 17th centuries to find the next records. "David Lekky was denounced [as a] rebel in 1537, Janet Laiky appears in Cammok, parish of Glenylla, 1599, and Euphemia Laikie in Carneleithe, 1694." 1

"The surname appears as Lecque among the Scots Guards in France, and the Leckies of Antrim and Carlow in Ireland are of Scottish descent. In Forman's heraldic MS. the name is spelled Leuke. The individual who had a charter of the lands of Leckie in the reign of David II was a descendant of Corc, brother of Maldouen, third Earl of Lennox." 1

Early History of the Lackey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lackey research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1390, 1406, 1537, 1784, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lackey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lackey Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Lackey has appeared as Leckie, Leck, Leckey, Lecky, Lackey, Lackie, Lachey, Lakey and many more.

Early Notables of the Lackey family

Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lackey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lackey Ranking

In the United States, the name Lackey is the 1,595th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Lackey family to Ireland

Some of the Lackey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Lackey migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Lackey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jane Lackey, who settled in Maryland in 1699
Lackey Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Win Lackey, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 3
  • Mary Lackey, who landed in Virginia in 1728 3
  • Patrick Lackey, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1782 3
Lackey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Lackey, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 3

Australia Lackey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Lackey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Benjamin Lackey, (b. 1814), aged 35, Cornish sawyer from travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 4
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Lackey, (b. 1810), aged 39, Cornish settler from travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 4
  • Mr. Alfred Lackey, (b. 1839), aged 10, Cornish settler from travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 4
  • Mr. Beryamen Lackey, (b. 1841), aged 8, Cornish settler from travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 4
  • Miss Mary Ann Lackey, (b. 1843), aged 6, Cornish settler from travelling aboard the ship "General Palmer" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 10th April 1849 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Lackey migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Lackey Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary A. Lackey, (b. 1851), aged 16, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Glenmark" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1867 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Lackey (post 1700) +

  • Ryan Donald Lackey (b. 1979), American entrepreneur and computer security professional, co-founder of HavenCo, the world's first data haven
  • Kenneth "Ken" Lackey (b. 1943), American businessman and politician
  • William D. Lackey (1870-1941), American pitcher in Major League Baseball
  • Mercedes Lackey (b. 1950), American author of fantasy novels, known for her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth
  • John Derran Lackey (b. 1978), American Major League Baseball starting pitcher from Texas
  • Brad Lackey (b. 1953), American motocross racer, member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame
  • Ernest Lackey (1867-1941), American politician, Mayor of Paducah, Kentucky, 1916, 1928-32 6
  • Edward W. Lackey, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1920 6
  • Edward Lackey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2004 6
  • E. Dent Lackey, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 40th District, 1952, 1962 6
  • ... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Lackey 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: Virtutis praemium
Motto Translation: Virtues reward


Suggested Readings for the name Lackey +

  • Climbing Our Family Tree by Edith Black.
  • Lackey, Stratton, and Allied Families by Harriett I. Pratt.

  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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