Luckas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Luckas

What does the name Luckas mean?

The name Luckas is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name Luke. This surname followed the religious naming tradition, where surnames were bestowed in honor of religious figures or church officials. In Europe, the Christian Church was one of the most powerful influences on the formation of given names. Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries. In the Middle Ages, they became increasingly popular because people believed that the souls of the deceased continued to be involved in this world. They named their children after saints in the hope that the child would be blessed or protected by the saint. In this case the surname Luckas was taken from St. Luke the Evangelist.

Early Origins of the Luckas family

The surname Luckas was first found in Nottinghamshire where the singular name Lucas was listed c. 1150. A few years later, Eurard Lucas was listed as a Knights Templar in Hertfordshire 1153-1185. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two entries for the name as a forename: Lucas Cacherellus, Norfolk; and Lucas Bercator, Cambridgeshire. 2 In Somerset, John Lucas was listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 3

"Lucas is a name established in various parts of England. It was represented in this county as well as in Norfolk in the reign of Edward I." 4

"Why the name of this evangelist should have become a family name in its original form, while the other three are only so in their Anglicized shape, is not apparent." 5

Early History of the Luckas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Luckas research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1606, 1610, 1613, 1631, 1633, 1635, 1639, 1640, 1648, 1649, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1669, 1671, 1672, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1686, 1687, 1688, 1693, 1702, 1705, 1713, 1715, 1769, 1771, 1786, 1791, 1808, 1816, 1830, 1832, 1839, 1840, 1843, 1854, 1856, 1859, 1865, 1866, 1869 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Luckas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Luckas Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Luckas has undergone many spelling variations, including Lucas, Lucass, Lukas and others.

Early Notables of the Luckas family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Thomas Lucas (1598-1649), a Royalist army officer; Sir Charles Lucas (1613-1648), an English soldier, a Royalist commander in the English Civil War; John Lucas, 1st Baron Lucas of Shenfield (1606-1671), an English industrialist and landowner; Charles Lucas, 2nd Baron Lucas...
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Luckas Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Luckas family to Ireland

Some of the Luckas family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Luckas family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Luckas were among those contributors: Captain Lucas who settled in Boston Massachusetts with his wife in 1765; Clothyer Lucas settled in Virginia in 1652; Francis Lucas and his wife and eight children settled in New England in 1709.

The Luckas 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: Respice finem
Motto Translation: Regard the end.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.