Show ContentsKekwick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kekwick first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the settlement of Kekwick in the county of Cheshire. The surname Kekwick belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Kekwick family

The surname Kekwick was first found in Cheshire where they were Lords of the Manor of Kekewich from very ancient times. "This family, long resident in Cornwall and Devonshire, are said to have been of Lancashire origin. There is a township in Cheshire called Kekwick, from which the name was probably borrowed. " [1]

"Peamore, [Devon] now the seat of the Kekewich family, was formerly in the Cobhams and Bonviles, Tothills and Northleighs. " [2]

Early History of the Kekwick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kekwick research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1550 and 1646 are included under the topic Early Kekwick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kekwick Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Kekwick has appeared include Kekewich, Kekwitch, Kekwick, Kekewitch and others.

Early Notables of the Kekwick family

More information is included under the topic Early Kekwick Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kekwick family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Kekwick arrived in North America very early: John Kekewich, who was recorded in the census of Ontario, Canada in 1871; as well as a family of the name Kekwick who landed in North America in 1890..


Contemporary Notables of the name Kekwick (post 1700) +

  • Professor Ralph Kekwick, Professor of Biophysics at the London University


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital


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