Erk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Erk is from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of the Britain and comes from the Old Danish and Old Swedish name Erik and the Old Norse name Eiríkr. Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames.

Early Origins of the Erk family

The surname Erk was first found in Leicestershire. The name was listed as Eiric, Eric, and Erish in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 John Eirich was the first listing of the family in Leicestershire in 1211. 2

"There is a tradition that the most ancient family of the Ericks derive lineage from Erick the Forester, a great commander, who raised an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror, by whom he was vanquished, but afterwards employed to command that prince's forces, and in old age retired to his house in Leicestershire, where his family hath continued ever since." 3

Early History of the Erk family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Erk research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1557, 1591, 1592, 1600, 1658, 1667, 1674, 1685, 1686, 1694, 1695 and 1753 are included under the topic Early Erk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Erk Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Erk has been spelled many different ways, including Herrick, Herricke and others.

Early Notables of the Erk family

Notables of the family at this time include Robert Herrick (1591-1674), and English poet, the fourth son of Nicholas Herrick, a goldsmith in Cheapside, by his wife Julian Stone who was baptised at the church of St. Vedast, Foster Lane, on 24 August 1591. He who wrote over 2,500 poems. His father, who came of an ancient Leicestershire family of Heyricks or Eyrickes, died in November 1592 of injuries caused by a fall from an upper window of his house. It was suspected that the fall was not accidental. 4Thomas Heyrick (d. 1694), English poet and divine, son of Thomas Heyrick...
Another 187 words (13 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Erk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Erk family to Ireland

Some of the Erk family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Erk migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Erks to arrive in North America:

Erk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Joh. Georg Erk, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "B. Bohlen"
Mrs. Anna Erk, (nee Fink), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "B. Bohlen"
Mr. Chr. Ludwig Erk, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "B. Bohlen"
Ludwig Erk, aged 38, who arrived in New York, NY in 1886 5
Josef Erk, aged 27, who landed in New York, NY in 1893 5

The Erk 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: Virtus omnia nobilitat
Motto Translation: Virtue ennobles all things.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)