Surname Yorke - Meaning and Origin

Yorke: What does the surname Yorke mean?

The last name Yorke is an English surname derived from the name of a number of places in England. It is believed to originate from Old English "ge-orc," meaning "earth enclosure".

Yorke is an ancestral name in the UK, with the earliest recorded use being in 1221 as Y']"orke. It is most commonly found in the southern parts of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Yorke is a fairly uncommon name, ranking in the top 5% of surnames in Britain.

The Yorke surname has been used to refer to a number of notable people over the ages. These include Thomas Yorke, an English Member of Parliament; Susannah Yorke, a celebrated British stage actress; and Thom Yorke, English singer-songwriter and lead vocalist for the band Radiohead.

Yorke may have been derived from birds, with its possible origin being Old English for "twitch" or "flutter". Alternatively, it may also refer to a yoke (shackle), possibly indicating that the original bearer of the name was either a blacksmith or a farmer.

Although the meaning of Yorke is unclear, it is clear that the name is a proud part of England's history, with its earliest recorded use being more than 800 years ago. The Yorke surname has become a shared legacy that can be traced back to England's distant past, and it continues to be associated with some of the country's most influential individuals today.

Yorke: Where does the name Yorke come from?

The last name Yorke is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. It can be found in all parts of England including England’s major cities. The last name is also quite common in some parts of the United States, primarily in areas where British immigrants have settled. A few areas have a particularly high concentration of people with the last name Yorke.

The town of Westwood, Massachusetts in the United States is known as the "Yorke Capital of America", due to its concentration of the last name. According to the 2000 United States Census, roughly 500 people in Westwood claimed Yorke as their last name. This makes Westwood one of the United States towns with the highest percentage of people with the last name.

Another area with a large population of the last name is Calne, Wiltshire in the United Kingdom. During the 2011 Census, roughly 500 people claimed Yorke as their last name. This was the third highest concentration of people with the last name in the UK after Plymouth in Devon and Lincoln in Lincolnshire.

The last name has been in use in the United Kingdom since the 1600s. It was first recorded in Oxfordshire in England in 1620. The last name has since spread to areas outside of the British Isles, but it remains most common in the countries of its origin.

Variations of the surname Yorke

The surname Yorke is an English locational surname believed to have originated from York, which in turn derives its name from the Latin word “Eburacum” meaning “Yew Tree.” There are many different variants of the surname Yorke, as it has been spelled in various ways throughout its history. Common variations include: York, Yorkie, Yorks, Yerke, and Yorrick.

Other anglicized spellings of the surname include: Yerkes, Yale, Yorkson, Yearks, Yarck, Yerecks, Yorkis, Yorch, Yorge, Yorg, Yarghe, and Yerckes. Additionally, some variants reflect pronunciation changes from languages such as Irish, Scottish, French, German, Dutch, and Welsh, with spellings such as Yoke, Yokel, Yorkeh, Yirm, Yerkeh, and Yerches.

There are also many associated surnames that have similarities to the surname Yorke, which may have originated from a locations similar to York, or an occupational name associated with the profession of a yew tree grower. These associated surnames include: Yewell, Yowell, Yowellan, Ywerkes, Yeowell, Yewon, Young, Yibble, and Yurko.

The surname Yorke is known to have been a fairly common name in England from the 11th century onwards and is today found in many countries throughout the world including the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Famous people with the name Yorke

• Thom Yorke: English musician, singer, songwriter, producers and Philanthropist.
• Nyima Yorke: British model and celebrity.
• Jonty Yorke: English Actor and Photographer.
• Chris Yorke: English footballer who plays for Rochdale.
• Matthew Yorke: English actor in theatre and television.
• Mark Philip Yorke: British Broadcasting Corporation executive and news editor.
• Denham Yorke: British sculptor and draughtsman.
• Charles Tyrwhitt Yorke: British barrister and judge.
• Andrew Heron Yorke: British soldier who served in the Boer War.
• George Henry Yorke: British Army officer and Engineer Lieutenant.
• Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Yorke: British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
• Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl Hardwicke: British politician and nobleman.
• Richard Beaumont Yorke: British army officer and politician.
• Gerrith Phipps Yorke: British politician and nobleman.
• Arthur Packer Yorke: British Royal Navy officer.
• Samuel Gawith Yorke: British brewer, landowner and politician.
• Horatio Yorke: British actor and comedian.
• Charles Yorke: British parliamentarian and lawyer.
• Octavia Yorke: English composer and writer.
• Harry Yorke: English model and actor.
• Elatia Yorke: British writer and journalist.
• Arthur Yorke: British military officer and Tory politician.
• Laura Maria Yorke: English martyr and Catholic saint.
• Laurence Hardinge Yorke: British Army officer and peer.
• Cyril Edwin Yorke: British Army officer and politician.
• William Yorke: English politician and advocate for disabled people.
• Francis Pym Yorke: British civil servant.
• Maria Susanna Yorke: English author of children's books.
• William Yorke Scudamore: British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
• Arthur Hildersham Yorke: English mathematician and churchman.

Other surnames

York