Peeke-Vout

In this unusual double-barrelled name, we have two separate origins, "Peeke" being Olde English and a developed form of the pre 7th Century "Peac", a habitational name from the Derbyshire Peak district, and meaning one who came from that region, or who lived on or by a pointed hill. The spelling as "Peek or Peeke" is, however, a variant form which is generally from Norfolk, a county renowned for its fens and flatness! The name is, however, one of the very earliest surnames (see below), Richard del Peke being, in circa 1284, a major landowner in the former county of Denbigh, North Wales. The name of "Vout" is recorded heraldically as "Voute of Amsterdam". It is a form of the English "Foot", a nickname for one who was a very fast runner, or who conversely suffered from a deformity. The various spellings include: Voth, Vooth, Voet, Fuss, and Foth, and all derive originally from an Old Norse-Viking word "fotr", of the pre 9th Century. Recordings include; Anna Voute, who married Daniel Van Der Hoeven at South Gravenhage, Zuid, Holland, on February 5th 1696, whilst James Vout married Mary Worguin at St. Giles', London, on December 23rd 1731. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard del Pek, which was dated circa 1196, son of Rannulf, the infamous Sheriff of Nottingham of Robin Hood fame, during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. 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.