WEEKS
Weeks is a surname of English origin. It derives from the Old English word wic, which in turn came from the Latin vicus and means an "outlying settlement" or, more specifically in the early period, a dairy farm or related outlying holding. The place-name element wic was used throughout the south west of England, giving rise to locations such as Week in Devonshire, Cornwall and Somerset. The name was originally a topographic or locational identifier for a person who dwelt near such a settlement or who worked at a dairy facility associated with it. As was typical in the Middle Ages, a final s was added to denote "one who resided at" rather than "from" the place, producing the hereditary surname Weeks.
The surname has been recorded in a wide variety of spellings, including Weech, Week, Weeke, Weekes, Wich, Wych, Weetch, Wick, Wickes, Wicks, Wix, Wike, Witch, Wykes and Whick. These variations all stem from the same linguistic root and reflect local dialectal influences and orthographic practices of the time.
The earliest documentary attestations of the name appear in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. In 1084 a record names Alueredus de Uuica of the county of Somerset; in 1184 Goscelin del Wich is noted in Worcestershire; and in 1194 Jordan de la Wike is recorded in Gloucestershire. The addition of the possessive s to surnames was a common medieval convention and is evident in these early examples.
Later instances illustrate the spread of the name beyond England. In 1634 a 16‑year‑old worsted weaver named Symon Weeks, from Devonshire, emigrated to St. Christopher’s in Barbados, part of the early wave of English emigration to the West Indies. Subsequent parish marriage records provide further grounding for the surname: Benjamin Weich married Aurrelia Clarke at St. James Clerkenwell on 21 September 1653, and Henry Witch married Ann Rugrove at St. Olaves in Southwark on 26 June 1774. These records show the persistence of the name in London and its environs across the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the contemporary period, the surname Weeks is found throughout the English‑speaking world, particularly in England, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Its historical association with domestic production of dairy goods remains a notable anecdote in the study of English family names, illustrating how local economic activities can give rise to enduring family identities.
Typical given names associated with the Weeks surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- 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 Weeks in...
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There are approximately 9,656 people named Weeks in the UK. That makes it the 959th most common surname in Britain. Around 148 in a million people in Britain are named Weeks.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Weeks
- Honeysuckle Weeks - Welsh actress
- Rollo Weeks - Actor
- Perdita Weeks - Actress
- Ed Weeks - Actor, writer and comedian
- Miriam Weeks - American pornographic actress
- Romilly Weeks - Television journalist
- Ronald Weeks, 1st Baron Weeks - Army general (1890 to 1960)
- Alan Weeks - Television sports reporter and commentator (1923 to 1996)
- George Weeks - Football player (1902 to 1982)
- Ray Weeks - Cricketer (1930 to 2013)
- Frederick Weeks - Cricketer (1903 to 1990)
- Donald Weeks - Cricketer (1903 to 1967)
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.