Show ContentsStryker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished Germany surname Stryker has two distinct origins. Firstly, it is derived from the place name "Streek," a town located in Odenwald; in this instance, the name would have been initially borne by someone who hailed from this town. Alternatively, Stryker is an occupational name, deriving from the Middle High German word "stricher," meaning "tester." In this instance, the name would have originally been used to designate someone in this occupation, eventually being passed down as a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Stryker family

The surname Stryker was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

While the name is generally understood to be Austrian, interestingly in England we found, Reginald le Strikere in Lincolnshire in 1297 and Thomas Strikere in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1360. 1

Early History of the Stryker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stryker research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1761, 1797, 1833 and 1856 are included under the topic Early Stryker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stryker Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Streich, Streicher, Streiche, Strycher, Streichle, Streichel, Streichler and many more.

Early Notables of the Stryker family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stryker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stryker Ranking

In the United States, the name Stryker is the 12,721st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Stryker migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stryker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Gerrit Janse Stryker, who arrived in New York in 1652 3
  • Jan Stryker, who landed in New York, NY in 1652 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Stryker (post 1700) +

  • Homer Hartman Stryker (1894-1980), American orthopedic surgeon and the founder of Stryker Corporation, a medical supply corporation in 1941
  • Private First Class Stuart S Stryker (1924-1945), American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1945, co-eponym of the Stryker family of eight-wheeled, armored fighting vehicles
  • Robert F. Stryker (1944-1967), American Medal of Honor recipient in the Vietnam War, co-eponym of the Stryker family of eight-wheeled, armored fighting vehicles
  • Ronda Stryker (b. 1954), American billionaire heiress, granddaughter of Homer Stryker
  • S. Kellogg Stryker (1902-1989), American philologist from New York City, an expert on 19th century and 20th century postage stamps
  • Timothy J. "Tim" Stryker (1954-1996), American computer programmer, best known as the creator of MajorBBS
  • Susan O'Neal Stryker (b. 1961), American professor, author, filmmaker, and theorist
  • Jon Lloyd Stryker (b. 1958), American architect, philanthropist and activist for social and environmental causes, heir to the Stryker Corporation
  • Matt Stryker (b. 1979), ring name of Brian Woermann, former American professional wrestler
  • Roy Emerson Stryker (1893-1975), American economist, government official, and photographer
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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)


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