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Weeks History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Weeks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Weeks reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Weeks family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Weeks family lived in Sussex. The name, however, derives from the Old English word wic, which describes someone who lives at an outlying settlement.

Early Origins of the Weeks family

The surname Weeks was first found in Surrey at Wyke, a tything, in the parish of Worplesdon, union of Guildford, First division of the hundred of Woking. "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of Wucha, and at an early period was held by a family called De Wyke." 1

Another branch of the family was found at Yatton in Somerset. "The greater portion of [the church of Yatton] appears to have been rebuilt in the 15th century, by the Wyck family, to one of whom is a monument bearing his effigy, in the north transept." 1

Thomas de Wykes (fl. 1258-1293), the English chronicler, took the habit of a canon regular at Osney Abbey, near Oxford, on 14 April 1282. "He mentions in his chronicle various namesakes and probable kinsfolk, including Robert de Wykes (d. 1246), Edith de Wyke (d. 1269), and John de Wykes, who in 1283 took a 'votum profectionis'. The name is a fairly common one, both as a personal and a place name, so that it is highly unsafe to identify him with other bearers of the same name, such as Thomas de Wyke, priest, who before 1249 wished to become a Franciscan friar." 2

Early History of the Weeks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Weeks research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1222, 1293, 1430, 1554, 1593, 1621, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1641, 1643, 1683, 1684, 1699, 1703 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Weeks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weeks Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Weeks family name include Weekes, Weeks, Wikes, Wykes, Wyke, Wix, Wicks, Weykes and many more.

Early Notables of the Weeks family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Wykes (1222-c.1293), English chronicler, a canon regular of Oseney Abbey, near Oxford; Thomas Wykes (died c.1430), Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wykes (fl. 1554), of Moreton Jeffries, Herefordshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Leominster in November 1554; Richard Wyche (or Wiche) (1554-1621), a...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Weeks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Weeks World Ranking

In the United States, the name Weeks is the 711^st most popular surname with an estimated 42,279 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Weeks is ranked the 759^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,152 people with that name. 4 And in the United Kingdom, the name Weeks is the 939^th popular surname with an estimated 7,383 people with that name. 5

Weeks migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Weeks family to immigrate North America:

Weeks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Leonard Weeks, who settled in New Hampshire in 1630
Richard Weeks, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Francis Weeks, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1635 6
Jo Weeks, aged 18, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 6
John Weeks, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1637 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weeks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Elinor Weeks, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 6
March Weeks, who landed in Virginia in 1730 6
Christian Weeks, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 6

Weeks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edmund Weeks, who landed in America in 1806 6
Sarah Weeks, aged 34, who landed in Massachusetts in 1812 6
Charles Weeks, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1815 6
Caroline Weeks, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 6
Jane Weeks, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1816 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weeks migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Weeks Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Edward Weeks, who settled in the Bay Bulls in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1708 7
John Weeks was a fisherman of Petty Harbour in Newfoundland in 1739 7
Carew Weeks, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. Simon Weeks U.E. who settled in St. Mary's Bay, Digby County, Nova Scotia c. 1784 listed on the Muster Roll at Gulliver's Hole, St. Mary's Bay and Sissiboo, he served in the Loyalist Regiment 8

Weeks Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Gilbert B Weeks, who arrived in Canada in 1828
Hiram Weeks, who arrived in Canada in 1831
Abraham Weeks, who landed in Canada in 1831

Weeks migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Weeks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Weeks, British Convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Mr. Charles Weeks who was convicted in Kent, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John Weeks, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. William Weeks, English convict who was convicted in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Jermima Weeks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Navarino" in 1837 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Weeks migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Weeks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Weeks, aged 22, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Charles Weeks, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
Elizabeth Weeks, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Conflict" in 1874
George Weeks, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dunedin" in 1875 14

Weeks migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Weeks Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Symon Weeks, aged 16, who arrived in St Christopher in 1634 6

Weeks Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

Richard Weeks, who landed in Jamaica in 1707 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Weeks (post 1700) +

Brent Weeks (b. 1977), American author, best known for The Night Angel Trilogy
Don Weeks (1938-2015), American radio personality
Sinclair Weeks (1893-1972), United States Secretary of Commerce under Dwight Eisenhower
Rickie Weeks (b. 1982), American Major League Baseball second baseman
John Wingate Weeks (1860-1926), American politician in the Republican Party, Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925
Willie Weeks (b. 1947), American bass guitarist
Charles Sinclair Weeks (1893-1972), United States Secretary of Commerce (1953-1958)
Dr. Kent R. Weeks (b. 1941), American Egyptologist
Jeffrey Renwick Weeks, American mathematician
Edwin Lord Weeks (1849-1903), American artist
... (Another 88 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Weeks family +

Grover Shoe factory

Mr. Henry M. Weeks, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; he died 16

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Henry Thomas Charles Weeks, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 17

The Weeks Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cari Deo nihilo carent
Motto Translation: Those dear to God want nothing.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) NAVARINO 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837Navarino.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 9th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html