Show ContentsUpdike History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Updike family

The surname Updike was first found in early documents. It is derived from the word "dyk" which means "dyke." The word "van" which often appears in Dutch names (including most of the variations of this name) is roughly equivalent to "by" or "at," indicating that the name refers to some feature of the terrain near the first bearer's home. Therefore, the first person to bear this name lived near a dyke.

Early History of the Updike family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Updike research. The years 1575, 1599, 1621, 1627, 1641 and 1651 are included under the topic Early Updike History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Updike Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Van Dyk, Van Dijk, Van Dijck, Van Dyck, Van Dijken, Van Dyken, Dijkman, Dykman, Op en Dyke, Updike and many more.

Early Notables of the Updike family

From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included Floris van Dyck (c.1575-c.1651), a Dutch Golden Age still life painter; and Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He was the seventh child of Frans van Dyck, a wealthy Antwerp silk merchant and learned painted from an early age. Van Dyck worked in London for some months in 1621...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Updike Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Updike Ranking

In the United States, the name Updike is the 11,134th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Updike migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Updike Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J.C. Updike, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "New York" from Southampton, England [2]
Updike Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Victoran F. Updike, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "President Grant" from Brest, France [2]
  • Gladys C. Updike, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "La Touraine" from Havre, France [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Updike (post 1700) +

  • Nancy Updike, award-winning American public radio producer and writer
  • Steven Dale Updike (b. 1948), American politician
  • Daniel Berkeley Updike (1860-1941), American printer and historian of typography
  • Ralph Eugene Updike (1894-1953), U.S. Representative from Indiana
  • John Hoyer Updike (1932-2009), one of the greatest and most prolific writers in modern American literature, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Scott W. Updike (1819-1889), American Republican politician, Postmaster at Rochester, New York, 1861-67 [3]
  • Robert Updike, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1964 [3]
  • Ralph Eugene Updike Sr. (1894-1953), American Republican politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives from Marion County, 1923-24; U.S. Representative from Indiana 7th District, 1925-29; Defeated, 1928 [3]
  • Caesar A. Updike, American politician, Speaker of the Rhode Island State House of Representatives, 1860-62 [3]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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