Sikes

The Tribe of Sikes represented here by Lord James and Lady Linda of that Ilk. The history of the Sikes family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the county of Cumberland. Sikes is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the area or landscape were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Sikes were named due to their close proximity to a marshy stream or damp gully. The surname was originally derived from Sikes-Dyke near Carlisle in Cumberland.