Pike (surname)
| Pike |
| Family name |
| Meaning |
pike (fish, weapon), turnpike |
| Region of origin |
England |
| Language(s) of origin |
English |
Pike is a common family name of English origin.
In the United States, Pike is the 1138th most common surname (based on the 1990 census). In England and Wales, it is the 513th most common surname (based on a Sept 2002 database of the Office for National Statistics). In Newfoundland, Pike is especially common, ranking 22nd among all surnames there (based on the 1955 voters list, as reported by E.R. Seary in "Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland"). At the time of the British Census of 1881, its relative frequency was highest in Wiltshire (7.3 times the British average), followed by Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire, the Channel Islands and Surrey. It is interesting to note that the area of highest relative frequency corresponds roughly to the ancient Kingdom of Wessex and that the first six counties of highest relative frequency are totally identical with Thomas Hardy's Wessex. Pike may thus with good reason be characterized as a "Wessex name".[1]
Genealogists tracking the surname using DNA analysis have identified 46 "genetically different Pike family lines".[2] The surname has many variations such as Pikes, Pykes, McPike, Picke, Pique along with Speight.
Derivation
The origins of the name are not entirely clear. Individuals may have adopted the surname based on physical attributes resembling Pike (the fish), an association with Pike (the weapon), or a turnpike (one of the early meanings of which was a turning pike, a horizontal timber that was mounted so as to be able to spin or turn (such turnpikes apparently served as barriers to prevent horses from accessing foot paths, and in other instances to block passage until a toll had been paid). It has also been speculated that the name Pike might be derived in some instances from the word "peak", such as when somebody resided at the peak of a hill (note, for instance, the usage of the word "pike" in the name of Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain).
Notable people with the surname "Pike"
- Albert Pike (1809–1891), American attorney, soldier, writer, and Confederate general
- Alfred Pike (1917–2009), Canadian professional ice hockey player
- Anthony J. Pike (1934), Owner of Pikes International Resort, Ibiza
- Austin F. Pike (1819–1886), United States senator
- Bob Pike (1940–1999), Australian surfer
- Bob Pike (trainer) (1947–), American business trainer, entrepreneur and author
- Brian Pike, British artist
- Bronwyn Pike (1956–), Australian politician
- Burton Pike, professor of Comparative Literature
- Chris Pike (1961–), Welsh footballer
- Christopher Pike (author), pseudonym of Kevin McFadden (1954–), American writer
- Danny Pike, British radio DJ
- Dave Pike (1938–), American jazz musician
- Frank Pike (soccer), Canadian soccer player
- Geoff Pike (1958–), English footballer
- Geoffry Morgan Pike (1929–), Author and Cartoonist
- James Pike (1913–1969), American Episcopal bishop, Diocese of California
- James Pike (politician), American congressman
- James Shepherd Pike (1811–1882), journalist criticized for distorting Reconstruction era in South Carolina
- Jay Pike, American baseball player
- Jennifer Pike (1989–), British violinist
- Jill Pike (1980–), American radio personality
- Jim Pike, American singer
- John Pike (settler) (1613–1688/1689), settler in Newbury, Massachusetts
- Lt. John Pike, University of California Davis police department officer alleged to have used pepper spray on Occupy UC Davis protesters
- John E. Pike (1953–), American science writer and political consultant
- J. Kevin Pike (1951–), American special effects supervisor and talent agent
- Jonathan Pike (1949–), British architectural painter
- Kenneth L. Pike (1912–2000), American linguist and anthropologist
- Lip Pike (1845–1893), American star of 19th century baseball, 4x home run champion
- Dr. Magnus Pike (1908–1992), British scientist and TV personality
- Martin Pike (1972–), Australian Football League player
- Mervyn Pike (1918–2004), British Dame of the Order of the British Empire
- Natalie Pike (1983–), English model, winner of the Miss British Isles Competition in 2004
- Otis G. Pike(1921–), United States Democratic politician
- Patrice Pike, American musician
- Peter Pike (1937–), British politician, Member of Parliament (−2005), member of the Labour Party
- Peter A. Pike (1957-), American politician, Founder of American Culinary Corporation
- Rob Pike (1956–), Canadian software engineer, worked at Bell Labs as a member of the Unix team, now works for Google
- Robert Pike (settler) (1616–1706), settler in Newbury, Massachusetts
- Rosamund Pike (1979–), British actress
- Samuel Pike (1717?–1773), English minister
- Thomas Pike (1906–1983), marshal of the Royal Air Force
- William Pike (−1591), Catholic martyr
- Zebulon Pike (1779–1813), American soldier and explorer for whom Pikes Peak is named
Fictional characters
References
- ^ "PIKE: Stats from the 1881 British Census". British Surnames, Surname Distribution and Surname Profiles. http://www.britishsurnames.co.uk/surnames/PIKE/1881census. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- ^ "Pike Surname DNA Project". http://www.math.mun.ca/~dapike/family_history/pike/DNA/index.php?content=results.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12.