Feaks

Recorded in a wide range of spellings including Feak, Feaks, Feakes, Feek, Fick, Fike, and diminutives such as Ficken and Feakins, this is an English surname. It derives from the pre 10th century Old French word "fiche", meaning an Iron point, a word introduced by the Norman invaders after 1066. As such it was used in a transferred sense to describe an agricultural implement such as a harrow or narrow plough share, or in a military sense, a pointed weapon such as a spear or lance. The surname is therefore occupational for somebody who made such implements, or it may have denoted a spearman, probably one famous for his exploits with the lance. The early examples of the surname recording include: Richard Ficun in the Assize Rolls of the city of York in the year 1219, James Feeke, a witness at St. Peters church, Westcheap, on April 2nd 1568, Susan Fickins, who married Robert Christy at the church of St. Gregory by St. Pauls, on May 5th 1635, and Ann Feakes, who married Will Stuckley at St James church, Dukes Place, on April 22nd 1686. All these later recordings being found in the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London from the time of Elizabeth 1st. The first recorded spelling of the family name is probably that of Semann Fike. This was dated 1197, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Norfolk, during the reign of King Richard 1st, known as Lion-heart, 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop," often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.