Wreak

Wreak
Recorded in several spelling forms including Reck, Recke, Reek, Wrack, Wreak, and Wreaks, this is an English surname, although there may be some French input through the French Huguenot name "Reque" from the 17th century. If English it is topographical or locational and as such describes a person who lived 'by the wreaks', or who came from the village of Wreak in the county of Leicestershire. The name refers to a powerful or sometimes twisting river, one where the water action is violent. The word in this sense is a loan from the pre 7th century Norse-Viking word "vreida", used to indicate power or wrath. The village name is first recorded in the year 1237 as Wrethek and later in 1276 as Wreyke. The surname is first recorded in the county of Yorkshire in the Poll Tax rolls of 1379, when Adam de Wrekes is so recorded. The preposition de being still in use at that time, although a throwback to the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the introduction of French as the national language, indicates that there may also have been a place called Wrekes or similar, in Yorkshire. This said, locational surnames in general were usually 'from' names. That is to say surnames given to people after they left their original homes, to move somewhere else. This could even be the next village, but the even so the fashion was to call people by the name of the place from whence they came. Examples of the surname recording include those of Mary Recke, the daughter of Peter Recke, christened at the church of St. Sepulchre, in the city of London, on November 28th 1678, and that of Leonard Wreaks, a witness at St James church, Clerkenwell, in the year 1739.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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Synonyms:
(as wrath or vengeance), , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wreak — Wreak, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wreaked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wreaking}.] [OE. wrek?? to revenge, punish, drive out, AS. wrecan; akin to OFries. wreka, OS. wrekan to punish, D. wreken to avenge, G. r[ a]chen, OHG. rehhan, Icel. reka to drive, to take… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wreak — [ri:k] v past tense and past participle wreaked or wrought [ro:t US ro:t] [: Old English; Origin: wrecan to drive out, punish ] 1.) wreak havoc/mayhem/destruction (on sth) to cause a lot of damage or problems ▪ These policies have wreaked havoc… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wreak — [ rik ] verb wreak havoc/destruction MAINLY JOURNALISM to cause very great harm or damage: These policies would wreak havoc on the economy. wreak revenge/vengeance MAINLY LITERARY to punish someone for something bad they have done to you …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Wreak — Wreak, n. [Cf. AS. wr[ae]c exile, persecution, misery. See {Wreak}, v. t.] Revenge; vengeance; furious passion; resentment. [Obs.] Shak. Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wreak — Wreak, v. i. To reck; to care. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wreak — wreak·ful; wreak; …   English syllables

  • wreak — is used in the expression wreak havoc (on). It is derived from an Old English verb meaning ‘to avenge’. The unrelated verb work is also used in this connection, with its archaic participial form wrought occasionally coming into service: • Moko,… …   Modern English usage

  • wreak — ► VERB 1) cause (a large amount of damage or harm). 2) inflict (vengeance). USAGE The past tense of wreak is wreaked, as in rainstorms wreaked havoc yesterday , not wrought. When wrought is used in the phrase wrought havoc, it is in fact an… …   English terms dictionary

  • wreak´er — wreak «reek», transitive verb. 1. to give expression to; work off (feelings, desires, or the like): »The cruel boy wreaked his bad temper on his dog. 2. to inflict (vengeance or punishment): »Till vengeance had been wreaked for the wrongs… …   Useful english dictionary

  • wreak — index inflict Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • wreak — (v.) O.E. wrecan avenge, originally to drive, drive out, punish (class V strong verb; past tense wræc, pp. wrecen), from P.Gmc. *wrekanan (Cf. O.S. wrekan, O.N. reka, O.Fris. wreka, M.Du. wreken to drive, push, compel, pursue, throw, O.H.G.… …   Etymology dictionary

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