Show ContentsDyke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Scottish name Dyke was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The original bearer of the name lived in Dutton, Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Dyke family

The surname Dyke was first found in Cumberland, where one reference claims "the name, originally 'Del Dykes,' is derived from the two lines of Roman wall in 'Burgh,' from whence the family at a remote period originated." 1

Ramerus de Dikes, who lived before the reign of Henry II is the supposed ancestor of the family. The family held estates at Dovenby, in the parish of Bridekirk.

Early History of the Dyke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dyke research. Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1207, 1272, 1301, 1379, 1421, 1457, 1471, 1509, 1600, 1614, 1617, 1619, 1620, 1630, 1649, 1650, 1660, 1666, 1669, 1685, 1688, 1689, 1700, 1706, 1756, 1761, 1765, 1823, 1843, 1847 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Dyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dyke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dyke, Dykes, Dike, Dikes and others.

Early Notables of the Dyke family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Thomas Dyke (1619-1669), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1666; Sir Thomas Dyke, 1st Baronet (c. 1650-1706), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Susse...
  • Daniel Dyke (d. 1614), was an English Puritan divine, born at Hempstead, Essex, where his father, who had been silenced for nonconformity, was a minister. Daniel Dyke (1617-1688), was an English Bapti...
  • Thomas Dykes (1761-1847), was an English divine, born at Ipswich on 21 Dec. 1761, and, after going to a boarding-school at a village in the neighbourhood, entered his father's business
  • Rev. John Bacchus Dykes was born in Hull, where his grandfather was incumbent of St John's Church, in March 1823. He received his first musical tuition from Skelton, organist of St. John's. In October...

Dyke Ranking

In the United States, the name Dyke is the 6,707th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Dyke is ranked the 169th most popular surname with an estimated 235 people with that name. 3


Dyke migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dyke Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Francis Dyke, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • Martha Dyke, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1854 4

Dyke migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dyke Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Dyke, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Mr. Samuel Dyke, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 18th June 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • William Dyke, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lalla Rookh" in 1840 7
  • Anne Dyke, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
  • Mary Dyke, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dyke 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:

Dyke Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Dyke, British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 9
  • Mrs. Hannah Dyke, British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 9
  • Mr. Thomas Dyke, Jr., British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 9
  • Miss Matilda Dyke, British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 9
  • Miss Amelia Dyke, British settler, from Shropshire travelling from London aboard the ship "New Great Britain" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 10th August 1863 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dyke (post 1700) +

  • Conny Van Dyke (1945-2023), sometimes credited as Connie Van Dyke, an American singer and actress
  • William D. Dyke (1930-2016), American lawyer, judge, and politician, two-term mayor of Madison, Wisconsin from 1969 to 1973
  • William D. Dyke (b. 1930), American politician
  • Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke (1887-1943), American movie director
  • Frank J. Van Dyke, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Clinton County, 1929 10
  • Derek Van Dyke, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1948 10
  • Carl Chester Van Dyke (1881-1919), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Minnesota 4th District, 1915-19 10
  • Arthur A. Van Dyke, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at St. Paul, Minnesota, 1933-55 (acting, 1933-34) 10
  • Arlington Van Dyke, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly 105th District, 1979-80 10
  • Alvin C. Van Dyke, American politician, Representative from Ohio 18th District, 1900 10
  • ... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LALA ROOKH 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840LallaRookh.htm
  8. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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