Lyke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

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."

Early Origins of the Lyke family

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

Early History of the Lyke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lyke research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1380, 1390, 1406, 1537, 1784, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Lyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lyke Spelling Variations

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.

Early Notables of the Lyke family

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.

Lyke Ranking

In the United States, the name Lyke is the 15,429^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Lyke family to Ireland

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.

Lyke migration to the United States +

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:

Lyke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anne Lyke, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Lyke (post 1700) +

James Patterson Lyke O.F.M. (1939-1992), American clergyman, Archbishop of Atlanta from 1991 to 1992

The Lyke 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: Virtutis praemium
Motto Translation: Virtues reward

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)