Stake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Stake

What does the name Stake 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 Stake is derived from a nickname for a large, well-built man. The surname Stake 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 Stake is Stac.

Early Origins of the Stake family

The surname Stake 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 Stake family

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

Stake Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Stake include Stack, Stacke, Stacks and others.

Early Notables of the Stake family

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

Stake migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Stake:

Stake Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Stake, who landed in Delaware in 1693 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)