Meeks
An English surname usually explained as “Meek’s son,” from the medieval nickname Meek.
The #1,202 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,481 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Meeks is generally treated as a patronymic surname built from the nickname Meek, with the final -s marking “son of” or belonging to. The nickname Meek comes from Middle English meke, meaning “gentle” or “mild,” from Old English mēoc. In some cases, older writers also suggested links with other surnames or local forms, but the standard explanation is from the personal nickname Meek.
History
The surname appears in English records in several spellings, including Meek, Meekes, Meekes, and Meeks. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname writers usually grouped it with other nickname-based names rather than as a separate occupational or place-name. The form is especially found in England and later in the United States, where it became established through immigration and internal migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname scholars sometimes discussed whether some Meeks forms might have been influenced by local pronunciation or other names, but the “Meek’s son” explanation remained the mainstream one.
From the historical record
“j^ jfor Meakin, q.v. MEEKS, Meek's (Son) : v. Meek. 1 = M6ap(e)s, q.v. JRNE] (Eng.) Bel. to Melbourne = ?N 1 (prob.) the Mill - Brook MEERES MEERS MEES, MEE's(Son)\”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)