Pyke, Pike Alternative derivations are from the tool, the fish or the Scandinavian pik, a tall thin person. It appears at Youghal in 1393 and in later centuries was found also in Cos. Waterford and Tipperary. It is one of those Anglo-Irish names which has had little connection with Ulster, though occasionally used there as a synonym of MacPeake. Pike, Pikes (Eng) Dweller at, or on, a pointed hill; one who fought w/ a pike; dweller at the sign of the pike. Pike, Pyke, Pick, Lepick: (I) Aluric, Alwinus Pic in 1066 Doomesday Book (D, So); Fulco picus 12th DC (L); Hugo Pik 1177 P (O); Robert le pic 1191 P (W); Henry Picke 1221 AssWo; William le Pyc 1296 SRSx; Nicholas Pyke 1344 FFC. These surnames have various origins. The DB examples are from Old English pîc 'point, pick-axe', and may have the same sense as the corresponding Scandinavian nickname Pik, 'a tall, thin person'. Or it may denote a man armed with a pîc, a pikeman. Later examples may have the same meaning or may be nicknames from Old French pic, Latin picus 'wood-pecker' or from Middle English pike 'pike, fish'. Alexander le pik (1292 SRLo) was a fishmonger and owner of a ship. William, Robert and Stephen Pikeman (ib.) were also fishmongers. Here, Pike and Pikeman are both from pike, the fish, and mean 'sellers of pike'. (Ii) Thomas del Pic 1220 FFEss; Ralph del Pik' 1292 QW (Herts). Old English pîc 'point' in the sense of 'hill'. From residence near a hill as at Pick Hill (Ess, K), the former the home of Reginald de Pike (t Hy 3 PN Ess 29).