Kirksey
Kirksey is most likely a locational surname, probably meaning someone from a place near a church or chapel.
The #6,068 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 54,607 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kirksey is probably a habitational surname built from kirk, a northern English and Scots word for "church" from Old Norse, plus a place-name ending such as -ey, which can mean "island" or sometimes a low-lying piece of land. In practice, surnames of this type usually began as references to someone who came from a place called Kirksey or something very similar. The exact original place-name is uncertain, so the literal sense is best treated as approximate rather than definitive.
History
The surname is found mainly in English-speaking countries and is especially well established in the United States. Like many locational surnames, it likely arose when people were identified by their home village or by a local landmark associated with a church. Over time the spelling stabilized as Kirksey, though related forms may have varied more earlier on.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names built on kirk are especially common in areas where Norse vocabulary left a strong imprint on English place-names.