Caskey
An Irish surname most likely from a Gaelic name linked to Easter or an Easter-time personal name.
The #5,776 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,483 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually treated as an anglicized Irish name, probably connected with Gaelic elements behind a personal name rather than a direct English word. One old explanation connects it with Irish caisg, “Easter,” with eac used in an older personal-name sense, giving a meaning along the lines of “one associated with Easter” or “the Easter-born/one who celebrates Easter.” The evidence is not completely secure, and older surname writers sometimes grouped it with related Irish forms such as Mac Caskie/Mac Askie.
History
The name appears in Irish and Irish-American records, and 19th-century surname lists place it chiefly in Irish contexts. It is a relatively uncommon surname, but it has enough presence in the record to have been noticed in county surveys and later English-language compilations. In modern usage it survives in Ireland, Britain, and especially the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century onomastic source glossed Caskey as linked to Easter, making it one of those surnames whose meaning may preserve an old feast-day association.
From the historical record
“rriAc AfCAiT), MacAskie. Mac Caskie, Caskey. niAC xXfCAill, MacAskill. rriAc Afmnmc, Casement.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames