Silk History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Silk surname is an Anglicized form, or in some cases a translation of the Gaelic Ó Síoda, where "síoda," means "silk."
Early Origins of the Silk family
The surname Silk was first found in Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat as Lords and Chiefs in Clann Coilein in western Clare in the territory of the MacNamaras known as the MacNamara Fionn, and from whom they were descended. After the Norman Conquest of Ireland in 1172, many Irish clann and sept names were intermixed and family groupings became almost indistinguishable. This family name was found later after the Cromwellian Invasion in Cork, Tipperary, Limerick, but few were to be found in the Clann Coilein.
Early History of the Silk family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Silk research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Silk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Silk Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Sheedy, McSheedy, O'Sheedy, Sheady, Silk, Silke and many more.
Early Notables of the Silk family
More information is included under the topic Early Silk Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Silk Ranking
In the United States, the name Silk is the 14,759th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1
Silk migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Silk Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Robert Silk, who landed in Virginia in 1714 2
- Edward Silk, who settled in North Carolina in 1736
- James Silk, who settled in Baltimore, Maryland in 1775
Silk Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Esther Silk, who arrived in Baltimore in 1834
- James Silk, who arrived in New York in 1835
- John Silk, who landed in Harford County, Maryland in 1860 2
- Mrs. William Silk, who arrived in Iowa in 1870 2
- Peter Silk, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1881 2
Silk migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Silk Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Michael Silk, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
- Mr. Daily Silk U.E. who settled in Edwardsburgh-Cardinal, Leeds & Grenville, Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Loyal Rangers 3
- Daily Silk, who settled in Canada in 1796
Silk Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- William Silk, aged 18, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Jane" from Galway, Ireland
Silk migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Silk Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Silk, (b. 1801), aged 19, Irish porter who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
- Mr. Samuel Silk, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
- Henry Oake Silk, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Winchester" in 1838 6
Silk 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:
Silk Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- F. Silk, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashburton" in 1857
- E. Silk, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ashburton" in 1857
- Miss Ellen Silk, (b. 1846), aged 20, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 7
- John Silk, aged 17, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
- Martin Silk, aged 14, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Silk (post 1700) +
- Joseph Ivor Silk, American Savilian Chair of Astronomy at the University of Oxford
- Dennis Raoul Whitehall Silk CBE (b. 1931), American-born, English cricketer
- Lieutenant Colonel Edward A. Silk (1916-1955), United States Army officer and recipient of the Medal of Honor
- Private Joseph Henry Silk GC (1916-1943), British soldier posthumously awarded the George Cross for his heroic self sacrifice
- George Silk (1916-2004), New Zealand photojournalist for Life magazine for 30 years
- Gary Silk (b. 1984), English footballer
- John Silk Deckard (1938-1994), American printmaker and sculptor
Historic Events for the Silk family +
- Mr. Stanley George Silk (1897-1941), Australian Chief Petty Officer from Sevenoaks, Kent, England, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 8
- Mr. Jack C R Silk (b. 1921), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from South Ealing, Middlesex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 9
- Mr. P S B Silk, British Petty Officer, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 10
Triangle Waist Company
- Mr. Louis Silk, American who was at the Asch building in Greenwich Village visiting the Triangle Waist Company factory on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; he survived the fire 11
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WINCHESTER 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Winchester.htm
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
- H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
- HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
- Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire