Meek

Meek
Recorded in the spellings of Meek, Meeke, and the patronymics Meeks and Meekes, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname. It is medieval, and a nickname surname for a gentle or self-effacing person deriving from the pre 7th century word "meek" or the Old Norse "mjukr" meaning "humble" or "meek". However given the robust humour of the Middle Ages it must be considered that the name may have a reverse meaning, and the nameholders could have been the opposite of "meek"! The surname from this source is first recorded in the early half of the 13th Century (see below), and early examples of the recordings include Robert le Meke in the "Register of the Freemen of the City of York", for the year 1300, and Alicia Meke, whose occupation is given as "labourer" is registered in the Poll Tax rolls of Yorkshire for 1379. The surname is recorded in Scotland from the mid 15th Century, the earliest recorded namebearer there being William Mek of Cowbyr in 1457, whilst Robert Meik was a burgess of the city of Perth in 1545 and in 1692, the marriage of John Martin and Jane Meek was recorded in St. Antholin's, London. A notable bearer of the surname was Sir James Meek (1778 - 1856) who was knighted in 1851 for service in Egyptology. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Mek, which was dated 1229, in the "Patent Records" of the county of Somerset. This was during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Meek — is very nearly equivalent in common usage to humble. Strictly the two are not synonyms, as they are mutually exclusive, once you know the exact meaning appreciate the etymology. Meekness differs from humbleness in that meek people give up… …   Wikipedia

  • MeeK — en concierto en París, 2008. Datos generales Nombre real Stephane Franck Pascal …   Wikipedia Español

  • MEEK — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Meek. MeeK MeeK Nom Stéphane Franck Pascal Naissance 16 février …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Meek — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Albert Stewart Meek (1871–1943), britischer Naturforscher und zoologischer Sammler von Vögelbälgen und Insekten Carrie P. Meek (* 1926), US amerikanische Politikerin Charles Kingsley Meek (* 1885),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Meek — (m[=e]k), a. [Compar. {Meeker} (m[=e]k [ e]r); superl. {Meekest}.] [OE. mek, meoc; akin to Icel. mj[=u]kr mild, soft, Sw. mjuk, Dan. myg, D. muik, Goth. mukam[=o]dei gentleness.] 1. Mild of temper; not easily provoked or orritated; patient under… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meek´ly — meek «meek», adjective, adverb. –adj. 1. not easily angered; mild; patient: »Even the man Moses, the meekest of men, was wrathful sometimes (George Eliot). SYNONYM(S): mild, forbearing. See syn. under gentle. (Cf. ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • meek — meek·en; meek·ly; meek·ness; un·meek; meek; …   English syllables

  • Meek — Meek, Meeken Meek en ( n), v. t. To make meek; to nurture in gentleness and humility. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meek — [ mik ] adjective quiet, gentle, and easily persuaded by other people to do what they want ╾ meek|ly adverb: I was not going to submit meekly to his nonsense. ╾ meek|ness noun uncount …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • meek|en — «MEE kuhn», transitive verb, intransitive verb. to make or become meek. ╂[< meek + en1] …   Useful english dictionary

  • meek — [mi:k] adj [Date: 1100 1200; : Old Norse; Origin: mjukr soft ] very quiet and gentle and unwilling to argue with people ▪ He was always so meek and mild . >meekly adv ▪ All right, said Neil meekly. >meekness n [U] …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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