The roots of the name Lyke are found among the Pictish clans of ancient Scotland. The name comes from at Leckie in the county of Stirlingshire. The place name is derived from the Gaelic leac, or "flagstone," and the suffix -ach, which means "place."
The surname Lyke was first found in the shires of Dumbarton and Stirling, derived from the barony of Leckie in the parish of Gargunnock, Stirlingshire. The first on record was "Murdoch Leckie [who] received a grant of two fourth parts of Bathewnn and Altremony from Robert III." [1] Robert III, John Stewart, was King of Scots from 1390 to his death in 1406. From this early recording, we must move to the 16th and 17th centuries to find the next records. "David Lekky was denounced [as a] rebel in 1537, Janet Laiky appears in Cammok, parish of Glenylla, 1599, and Euphemia Laikie in Carneleithe, 1694." [1]
"The surname appears as Lecque among the Scots Guards in France, and the Leckies of Antrim and Carlow in Ireland are of Scottish descent. In Forman's heraldic MS. the name is spelled Leuke. The individual who had a charter of the lands of Leckie in the reign of David II was a descendant of Corc, brother of Maldouen, third Earl of Lennox." [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lyke research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1406, 1380, 1784, 1537, 1797 and are included under the topic Early Lyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Although Medieval Scotland lacked a basic set of spelling rules, which meant that scribes recorded names according to their sounds it was not uncommon for the names of a father and son to be recorded differently. As a result, there are many spelling variations of Scottish single names. Lyke has been written Leckie, Leck, Leckey, Lecky, Lackey, Lackie, Lachey, Lakey and many more.
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lyke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Lyke is the 15,429th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]
Some of the Lyke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Thousands of Scots left their home country to travel to Ireland or Australia, or to cross the Atlantic for the North American colonies. The difficult crossing was an enormous hurdle, but those who survived found freedom and opportunity in ample measure. Some Scots even fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence. This century, their ancestors have become aware of the illustrious history of the Scots in North America and at home through Clan societies and other organizations. Passenger and immigration lists show many early and influential immigrants bearing the name Lyke: