Letterick

This unusual and interesting surname is of Scottish origin, and is locational from a place called "Lettrick", near Cambuslang, in Lanarkshire. The first recording of the placename was as "Letterick" in the Protocol books of Glasgow in 1553, as "Letrig" and "Letrige" in 1555, and as "Lettrig" in 1567, in the same books. Locational surnames were developed when former inhabitants of a place moved to another area, usually to seek work, and were best identified by the name of their birthplace. The modern surname can be found as Lettrick, Litterick, Letterick, Littrick and Lettrik. One Robert Lettrik was a messenger of the laird of Pollok in 1583. The marriage was recorded in Scotland of James Litterick and Helen Fergie on January 12th 1872 at Falkirk, Stirling. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of David Lettrick, (witness), which was dated 1572, Glasgow, Scotland, during the reign of King James V1 of Scotland, 1567 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.