Fiske History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Fiske was a nickname "the fish" for someone who was a fisherman or someone who sold fish from the Icelandic "fiskr" or the Danish "fish." 1

The name in Middle English was spelt fiske or fyske and was typically a northern England from of the word "fish." 2

Early Origins of the Fiske family

The surname Fiske was first found in Norfolk where "Fisc occurs as a personal name in the Domesday Book of 1086." 3 4 5

Later, Ernis Fish was listed in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1202 and in Suffolk, Daniel Fisc was listed there in 1208. The Pipe Rolls of Northumberland included Robert Fisk in 1230. In Cornwall, Robert le Fysch was found there in 1297. 4

"The Fiskes or Fisks are probably connected with the Fiskes of the parish of Cratling in the 17th century: a monument to one of the family in Cratling church bore the date of 1640 Rattlesden [Suffolk] was the home of an ancient family of Fiske, owning much property in the county last century." 6

Early History of the Fiske family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fiske research. Another 305 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1519, 1637, 1643, 1796, 1818, 1819, 1827, 1846, 1872, 1884 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Fiske History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fiske Spelling Variations

Fiske has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Fiske have been found, including Fisk, Ffiske, Fiske, Fisc and others.

Early Notables of the Fiske family

Notables of the family at this time include William Fisk (1796-1872), the English painter, born in 1796 at Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex, "the son of a yeoman farmer at Can Hall in that county, of a family which boasted of some antiquity, dating back to the days of Henry IV. Drawing very early became Fisk's favourite occupation, but his inclination to art was discouraged by his father, who sent him to school at Colchester, and at nineteen years of age placed him in a mercantile house in London. In this uncongenial profession Fisk remained for...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fiske Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fiske Ranking

In the United States, the name Fiske is the 8,835^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Fiske migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Fiskes to arrive on North American shores:

Fiske Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Fiske, who arrived in Salem Massachusetts in 1637
John Fiske, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1637 8
David Fiske, who landed in New England in 1638 8
David Fiske, who settled in Cambridge Massachusetts in 1640
Anne Fiske, who arrived in New England in 1640 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fiske Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G S Fiske, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
Mrs. J R Fiske, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 8
R. L. Fiske, who settled in San Francisco in 1853
Albert Fiske, aged 8, who landed in New York, NY in 1893 8
Reinhold Fiske, aged 9, who arrived in New York, NY in 1893 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fiske (post 1700) +

Bradley Allen Fiske (1854-1942), American naval officer and inventor
Harrison Grey Fiske (1861-1942), American critic, producer, and playwright
John "Edmund" Fiske (1842-1901), American philosopher and historian
Edwin W. Fiske (1861-1928), American Democratic Party politician, Real estate business; Mayor of Mt. Vernon, New York, 1896-1903, 1910-17; Defeated, 1894, 1917, 1923, 1927 9
Edwin M. Fiske, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1916 9
Edwards W. Fiske, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 2nd District, 1848-50 9
Edmund Walter Fiske (b. 1874), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, 1919-21 9
Donald B. Fiske, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1956 9
Charles J. Fiske, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, 1900 9
Charles E. Fiske, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 10th District, 1900; Defeated, 1900, 1901 9
... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Fiske 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: Macte Virtute Sic Itur Ad Astra
Motto Translation: So to the stars we go.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
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)
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html