The name Pek came to England with the ancestors of the Pek family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Pek family lived in Denbighshire. The surname of Peck derives from the Old English word pekke, indicating the top of a mountain or hill, and was a local name distinguishing a person who lived by a prominent peak.
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Early Origins of the Pek family
The surname Pek was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
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Early History of the Pek family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pek research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1400, 1692 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Pek History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Pek Spelling Variations
Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Peck, Pecke and others.
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Early Notables of the Pek family
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pek Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Pek family
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Pek or a variant listed above: Richard Peck, his wife Jane and eight children settled in Halifax Nova Scotia in 1775; Robert Peck settled in Boston in 1638; Thomas Peck settled in Barbados in 1634.
