Meeke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland-Alt
Scotland
Ireland
England

To the ancient Scottish name Meeke was a nickname for a timid person. Meeke is a nickname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. The surname Meeke comes from the Old English word meek, which means humble or merciful. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Meeke family

The surname Meeke was first found in Fife, where "a family of this name held lands from the abbots of Cupar from the middle of the fifteenth century. William Mek had a tack of part, of Cowbyr in 1457, Will Meyk was tenant of Coupergrgange in 1468, and William Meyk was tenant of Balmyl in 1485." 4

Further south in England, Richard Mek was registered in Somerset in 1299 and later, Robert le Meke was listed as a Freeman of York in 1300. 5

Early History of the Meeke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meeke research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1545, 1549, 1584, 1676, 1680, 1684, 1695, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Meeke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meeke Spelling Variations

The appearance of the printing press and the first dictionaries in the last few hundred years did much to standardize spelling. Prior to that time scribes spelled according to sound, a practice that resulted in many spelling variations. Meeke has been spelled Meek, Meeke, Meeks, Meik, Meech, Meach, Mekie and others.

Early Notables of the Meeke family

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

Migration of the Meeke family to Ireland

Some of the Meeke family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meeke migration to the United States +

The expense of the crossing to the North American colonies seemed small beside the difficulties of remaining in Scotland. It was a long and hard trip, but at its end lay the reward of freedom. Some Scots remained faithful to England and called themselves United Empire Loyalists, while others fought in the American War of Independence. Much of this lost Scottish heritage has been recovered in the last century through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Meeke:

Meeke Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Meeke, who settled in Virginia in 1663 along with John and William
Guy Meeke, who arrived in Maryland in 1666 6
John Meeke, who landed in Maryland in 1674 6
Sarah Meeke, who landed in Maryland in 1674 6
Walter Meeke, who arrived in Maryland or Virginia in 1674 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Meeke Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Meeke, who settled in Virginia in 1741
Rudolph Meeke, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Meeke (post 1700) +

William Meeke (1758-1830), Member of Parliament for Callan in the Irish Parliament (1790 to 1797) and Member of Parliament for Penryn, Cornwall (1796-1900) (1801-1802)
Brent Alan Meeke (b. 1952), retired Canadian professional NHL ice hockey forward who played 75 games in the National Hockey League
Mary Meeke (d. 1816), prolific English author who sometimes used the pseudonym Gabrielli
Kris Meeke (b. 1979), British professional rally driver, Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion (2009)

The Meeke 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: Jungor ut implear
Motto Translation: I am joined that I may become full.

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)
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)