Stak History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Stak

What does the name Stak mean?

When the Strongbownian's arrived in Ireland there was already a system for creating patronymic names in place. Therefore, the native population regarded many of the Anglo-Norman naming practices that these settlers were accustomed to as rather unusual. Despite their differences, the two different systems eventually merged together rather insidiously. The Strongbownians, when they arrived, displayed a preference for used nickname surnames. Two of the most prevalent forms were oath nicknames and imperative names. Oath names often carried blessings or were formed from habitual expressions. Imperative names, formed from a verb added to a noun or an adverb, metaphorically described the bearer's occupations. The nick name surname Stak is derived from a nickname for a large, well-built man. The surname Stak is derived from the Old English word "stack," which in turn comes from the Old Norse word "stakkr," which means "haystack." The Gaelic form of the surname Stak is Stac.

Early Origins of the Stak family

The surname Stak was first found in Gloucestershire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D. They were recruited from their seat at Bath to join the Earl of Pembroke's invasion of Ireland.

Early History of the Stak family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stak research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stak History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stak Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name Stak that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name Stak has existed in the various shapes: Stack, Stacke, Stacks and others.

Early Notables of the Stak family

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

Stak migration to the United States +

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Stak:

Stak Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Stak, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 1

Sources +

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)