ECCLES
The surname Eccles is of English origin and is classified as a habitational or topographic name that typically indicates a person’s association with a church or a location bearing that name.
The name derives from the Old English word ecels, which means church. This term in turn was borrowed from the Greek word ekklesia, meaning a gathering or assembly, particularly a religious assembly.
Several places in the British Isles carry the name Eccles, most notably in Lancashire, Norfolk and Kent in England and in Berwickshire and Dumfriesshire in Scotland. In Kent the place was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Aiglessa; its name is believed to have evolved from the pre‑7th‑century English *aec‑laes, meaning ‘oak pasture’. The other localities obtain their names directly from the element *ecles*, signifying a church situated there.
Documentary evidence of the surname first appears in England in the Kent Pipe Rolls of 1212 when Warin de Eccles is recorded. In Scotland the earliest known mention comes from a charter dated around 1170, witnessed by Adam de Eccles in Melrose, within the reign of King William the Lion (1165‑1214).
The surname has been rendered in a number of spelling variations through the centuries, including Eccles, ecles, Eckels, and Eckles. In some Gaelicised contexts the name may appear as McCleish, McClish or McLeish, though these forms are considered distinct derivations.
While the name remains common in England and Scotland, it also spread to Ireland in the 17th century and subsequently to other English‑speaking countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia due to migration. Concentrations of the surname can therefore be found in the Northern part of Ireland and in various diaspora communities abroad.
Individuals bearing the surname have entered a range of professions. Notable bearers include the physicist David Eccles and the former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Marriner Eccles. These examples illustrate the ongoing presence of the name in public life beyond its original locational and ecclesiastical associations.
In sum, the surname Eccles reflects both a geographical connection to historic church sites and a linguistic heritage that links English and early medieval Greek terminology. Its persistence as a family name across centuries and continents continues to echo the social and religious landscapes of its earliest bearers.
Typical given names associated with the Eccles surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Diane
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Joanne
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Eccles in...
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There are approximately 7,437 people named Eccles in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,259th most common surname in Britain. Around 114 in a million people in Britain are named Eccles.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Eccles
- David Eccles, 1st Viscount Eccles - Politician (1904 to 1999)
- William Eccles - Physicist (1875 to 1966)
- John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles - Viscount
- David Eccles - American businessman (1849 to 1912)
- Donald Eccles - Actor (1908 to 1986)
- Bob Eccles - Rugby league football player and coach
- Terry Eccles - Football player
- Diana Eccles, Viscountess Eccles - Viscountess
- Ross Eccles - Artist
- Joseph Eccles - Cricketer (1863 to 1933)
- Edith Eccles - Classical archaeologist (1910 to 1977)
- Jack Eccles - Trade unionist (1922 to 1)
- Henry Eccles - Cricketer (1863 to 1931)
- John Eccles - Royal Navy admiral (1898 to 1966)
- Joanne Eccles - Equestrian
- Cliff Eccles - /Irish rugby league player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.