Wyche
A surname from a place by a salt spring or salt-work, especially in the English Midlands.
The #7,287 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,515 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Wyche comes from Middle English forms like "de la Wyche" and is linked to Old English "wic" or related forms meaning a salt spring, salt-work, or saline place. The name was given to someone living near such a feature or coming from a place so named. It is also connected with English place-names such as Droitwich, Nantwich, and Northwich.
History
Historical surname forms include Wych, Wiche, Wyche, and related spellings. The name appears in medieval records and was later borne by families in England; one well-known bearer was John Wych, the canonized bishop of Chichester, who is often associated with the place-name form "de la Wyche." The spelling Wyche is an English surname form that has remained relatively uncommon in modern times.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same old word behind Wyche also helped name several English towns famous for their salt, including Droitwich and Nantwich.
From the historical record
“WYCH 1 lengthened,or rather diphtbongized, WYCHE I forms of Wioh, q.v. Adam del Wych.— LawirfFiHei.A.D. 1346. WYCHERLEY (Eng.) Bel. toWycherley (Salop) = (prob.) Wichere's Lea [M.E. Uy, , O.E. ledh] Wycherley, the dramatist, was a Shrop- shire inan.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)