Explore the Family Name Pike
The meaning of Pike
1. English: nickname, perhaps for a fisherman whose physique resembled that of a pike. One Londoner so named in 1292 was a fishmonger. 2. English: metonymic occupational name for a user of a pointed tool, perhaps a laborer or military pikeman, from Middle English pike ‘pike, pickaxe, pitchfork’. Compare Pick. 3. English: from the Middle English and Old French personal name Pic (Old English Pica, Old Norse Pík), of uncertain origin but perhaps from one of the words mentioned above. 4. English: nickname from Old French pic ‘woodpecker’, Latin picus. Compare Speake and Speight. 5. English: topographic name for someone who lived by a hill with a sharp point (Old English pīc, Old Norse pík). 6. Irish: in the south, of English origin (see above); in Ulster a variant Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Péice (see McPeake). 7. Americanized form of North German Peik. 8. Americanized form of Slovenian Pajek or Pajk: nickname from (an archaic spelling of) pajek ‘spider’. Compare Paik 4. History: John Pike brought his family to Boston from England in 1635 and settled in Newbury, MA. His son Robert was a leading citizen and a vigorous defender of civil and religious liberty in colonial MA.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pike in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Pike has seen a slight decrease in rank between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Pike was ranked as the 1235th most popular surname and by 2010, it had slipped to 1318th. This represents a change of -6.72%. However, despite the drop in rank, the actual count of people with the surname Pike increased from 26,086 to 26,655 during the same period, marking a growth of 2.18%. The proportion per 100k also saw a dip from 9.67 to 9.04, which is a -6.51% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,235 | #1,318 | -6.72% |
| Count | 26,086 | 26,655 | 2.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.67 | 9.04 | -6.51% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pike
Speaking of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows an interesting shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Pike between 2000 and 2010. While those identifying as White held the majority at 93.76% in 2000 and 92.52% in 2010, the segment experienced a slight decrease of 1.32%. The Asian/Pacific Islander group saw the biggest increase, going from 0.44% to 0.69%, a change of 56.82%. Additionally, those identifying as Hispanic and Black also saw increases of 48.99% and 13.41% respectively, while those identifying as two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.76% | 92.52% | -1.32% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.22% | 48.99% |
| Black | 1.64% | 1.86% | 13.41% |
| Two or More Races | 1.34% | 1.36% | 1.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.33% | 1.34% | 0.75% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.69% | 56.82% |
Pike ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Pike is British & Irish, which comprises 55.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.7%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.6% |
| French & German | 22.7% |
| Eastern European | 5.0% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Pike
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Pike have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
What Pike haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Pike is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include I-Z138 and R-Z156, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Drake, Tucker, Goldsmith, Fisher, Shepard, Myers, Curtis, Becker, Jensen, Lange.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Pike surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Pike have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Pike" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Pike" Surname 32.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Pike" Surname 22.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Pike" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Pike?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Pike are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition