KIRK
The surname Kirk is a common family name within the British Isles, having arisen as a topographic designation or occupational marker in the North of England and in Scotland. Its ultimate linguistic root is the Old Norse word kirkja, meaning “church,” and the name was thus generally applied to an individual who lived near a church or who was employed by it.
The name is historically linked with Norwegian settlement of the region before the seventh century. It entered the English and Scottish linguistic landscape through the Northern Middle English word kirk, which was inherited from the original Norse form. As a result, Kirk appears in early medieval records in both countries as a reference to a church or to a clerical occupation.
Topographic surnames were among the earliest constructed in the Middle Ages because natural and man‑made features offered readily recognisable identifiers for small communities. An occupational surname also derived from a person’s job; over time, these descriptors became hereditary. Early examples of the name are found in the civil and ecclesiastical registers: Richard Attekirck (1301, Yorkshire); Adam Ofthenkirke (1308, Suffolk); and Robert de Kirke (1379, Yorkshire). In Scottish record books the name first appears in 1456 in the Register of the Abbey of Aberbrothoc, where Sir Patrick Kyrk is listed as chaplain of the altar of St. Mary in Perth. The following century recorded Alexander Kirk as bailie of St. Andrews in 1520.
The surname remains fairly common in both Scotland and England today. Variations of the name can be found in other Germanic languages, reflecting the widespread use of the word “church” in Scandinavia, German and Dutch belonging families who adopted the same topographic or occupational conventions.
Coat‑of‑arms attributed to a Kirk family show a red shield charged with a gold crosier and silver swords crossed diagonally (saltireways). A gold chief bears a green thistle, a heraldic device frequently associated with Scotland. This insignia further underlines the Scottish connections of the family line.
The earliest recorded spelling that survives is that of Reginald Attekireke, dated 1209 in the “Fines Court Records” of Lincolnshire. The document was produced during the reign of King John, known as “Lackland,” which spanned the years 1199 to 1216.
Typical given names associated with the Kirk surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Cark
- Cork
- Kirke
- Kark
- Karki
- Curk
- Kerck
- Karck
- Kir
- Kira
- Karko
- Kerk
- Kerks
- Kirck
- Kirkes
- Kirkey
- Kirkie
- Kirkos
- Kirks
- Kirksey
- Kirkus
- Kirky
- Korc
- Korck
- Korek
- Kork
- Kurc
- Kurk
- Kurka
- Kurke
- Kurko
- Kiar
- Kier
- Kircay
- Kirch
- Kire
- Kirik
- Kirkam
- Kirkan
- Kirkby
- Kirken
- Kirker
- Kirkhy
- Kirkuk
- Kirkum
- Kirr
- Kirs
- Korkou
- Corrick
- Crack
- Cragg
- Craig
- Crake
- Creagh
- Creak
- Creek
- Garg
- Garrick
- Gregg
- Grigg
- Kirkup
- Kyriacou
- Quirk
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Kirk in...
Braille
⠅⠊⠗⠅
Morse
-.-...-.-.-
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Kirk are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Shortbread.
There are approximately 26,538 people named Kirk in the UK. That makes it the 303rd most common surname in Britain. Around 408 in a million people in Britain are named Kirk.
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 Kirk
- Jonathan Lyndale Kirk - American rapper and songwriter
- Malcolm Kirk - Professional wrestler and rugby league player (1936 to 1987)
- Charlie Kirk - Football player
- Richard H. Kirk - Musician
- Liam Kirk - Ice hockey player
- Robert Kirk - Philosopher
- Courtney Sweetman-Kirk - Football player
- Andy Kirk - Football player
- Geoffrey Kirk - Classical scholar (1921 to 2003)
- Robert Kirk - Scottish folklorist, Bible translator, Gaelic scholar (1644 to 1692)
- John Kirk - Scottish physician, naturalist, companion to David Livingstone and administrator in Zanzibar (1832 to 1922)
- Peter Kirk - Politician (1928 to 1977)
- Ewan Kirk - Co-founder of Cantab Capital
- Anne Kirk - Darts player
- Willie Kirk -
- Aden Kirk - Darts player
- Anthony Kirk-Greene - (1925 to 2018)
- Andrew Kirk - Rugby league player
- Bob Kirk - Scottish golfer (1845 to 1886)
- Kenneth Kirk - Bishop (1886 to 1954)
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.