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![Show Contents]() Unieck History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Ireland
When the Stongbow settlers arrived in Ireland, they quickly learned that the Irish had a pre-established system of hereditary surnames. The name Unieck is an occupational surname, which was primarily from the Anglo-Norman culture. There were a few Irish occupational names, however, previous to the arrival of the Strongbownians, so this Anglo-Norman tradition was not too incongruous within the island. Occupational surnames were derived from a word describing the actual job done by the initial name bearer. The Strongbownians frequently prefixed these names with the French word le, meaning the, but this custom quickly died out in Ireland. The surname Unieck came from a common occupational name for a valued military officer. The surname Unieck is derived from the expression Unicus Est. According to tradition, during the bitter 13th century feuds between the two powerful Anglo-Norman families of the Fitzgeralds and the Butlers, a Commander who sought help to secure a position pointed to a particularly valued captain and said Unicus Est, which means Hei is the only one to undertake this service. The name Garde was also used as a synonym. Early Origins of the Unieck familyThe surname Unieck was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times, soon after the Anglo Norman Conquest of Ireland by Strongbow in 1172 A.D. That this family name were Norman mercenaries seems reasonably clear. In the bitter 13th century feuds between the Fitzgeralds and the Butlers it is said that a commander, seeking help to secure a position, pointed to one of the captains and said, 'Unicus Est', meaning 'He is the only one to undertake this service'. Hence this expression not only became the family motto but it also became the basis and origin of the family name itself, Uniacke. Later some used Gard as a synonym. Early History of the Unieck familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Unieck research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1976 is included under the topic Early Unieck History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Unieck Spelling VariationsMedieval scribes and church officials spelt names simply the way they sounded, which explains the various name spelling variations of the name Unieck that were encountered when researching that surname. The many spelling variations included: Uniacke, Uniake, Uniack, Uniak, Garde, Gard and others. Early Notables of the Unieck familyMore information is included under the topic Early Unieck Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Unieck familyIreland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Unieck: Edward Uniacke arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852.
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