Show ContentsHyke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Viking settlers of ancient Scotland were the first to use the name Hyke. It was a nickname for a hooked or crooked person. This nickname was originally derived from the Old Norse word haki which meant "hook" or "something crooked." 1

Alternatively, the name could have been a patronymic for " the name of an ancestor as in 'the son of Hake.' " 2

And another source believes the name has the same origin as "Haig and Haigh; from Haigh co. Lancaster or from Anglo-Saxon 'hagen,' a hay, hedge, meadow. " 3

Early Origins of the Hyke family

The surname Hyke was first found in the county of Norfolk where Turkil Hako was listed there in Domesday Book 4. Later the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire listed Leuiua filia Hacke as holding lands there in 1218 - a very rare entry for a female or "daughter" to hold lands at that time. Later again, Gilbert Hale was listed in the Feet of Fines of Staffordshire in 1257. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following entries as both a forename and surname: Hacca filius Pictavini; Peter filius Hake, Lincolnshire; Haco le Muner, Suffolk; and Hako Strek, Suffolk. 2

Early History of the Hyke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hyke research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1273, 1375, 1567, 1576, 1578, 1579 and 1586 are included under the topic Early Hyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hyke Spelling Variations

Translation and spelling were non-standardized practices in the Middle Ages, so scribes had only their ears to rely on. This was a practice of extremely limited efficiency, and spelling variations in names, even within a single document, were the result. Over the years, Hyke has appeared Hake, Hakes, Hakke, Hacke and others.

Early Notables of the Hyke family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Edward Hake, (fl. 1579), an English satirist who was patronized by the Earl of Leicester, known for his Newes out of Paules Churchyarde, A Trappe for Syr Monye, whi was first published in 1567. No copy of the 1567 edition is known; but the work was reprinted in 1579. "From the dedication to the Earl of Leicester we learn that at this date Hake was under-steward...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hyke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hyke family

The fertile east coast of what would become US and Canada was soon dotted with the farms of Scottish settlers. Some of them remained faithful to the crown and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others had the chance to pay back their old oppressors in the American War of Independence. That brave spirit lives on today in the highland games that dot North America in the summer. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Hyke family came to North America quite early: Thomas Hakes who died at Jamestown, Virginia in 1623; John Maximilian Hake who sailed to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1774 and Nicolaus Hake who settled in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1798..


Contemporary Notables of the name Hyke (post 1700) +

  • Raymond John "Ray" Hyke (1917-1982), American actor, known for his roles in Red River (1948) and Fort Apache (1948), he appeared in 45 titles
  • John C. Hyke, American voice actor


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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