Loker

This interesting surname has two distinct possible sources. Firstly, the surname may be of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from a derivative of the Olde English pre 7th Century "locian", Middle English "luk(en)", to look, and would have been an occupational name for someone who had to watch or look after something, as for example a watchman or a keeper of animals. Job-descriptive surnames originally denoted the actual occupation of the namebearer, and later became hereditary. John le Lokar and Robert Louker are listed in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Somerset. Secondly, the surname may be locational from Lucker in Northumberland, recorded as "Lucre" in the 1170 Pipe Rolls of the county, and derives from the Old Norse "lo", sandpiper, and "kiarr", marsh, wetland; hence, "marsh frequented by sandpipers". During the Middle Ages, when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took their former village name as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. Simon de Lucre is noted in the 1256 Assize Rolls of Northumberland. In the modern idiom the surname can be found as Looker, Loker and Luker. On August 21st 1557, William Loker married Elysabeth Steellcrake at St. Pancas, Soper Lane, London, and Isacke Loker married Anne Correll at St. Luke's, Chelsea, London, on June 22nd 1627. A Coat of Arms granted to the family depicts three silver wolves' heads on a red shield. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Peter le Loker, which was dated 1221, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Worcestershire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. 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.