Strickland (surname)
Strickland is an English toponymic surname derived from the manor of Strickland in the historical county of Westmorland, now Cumbria, England, represented geographically by the modern villages of Great Strickland and Little Strickland. The surname dates as far back as the 12th century in Westmorland, and is also found at an early date in the Scottish counties of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.[citation needed]
Etymology
The surname Strickland (early forms include Stirkeland) is derived from the place-name Stercaland, given to a manor in the former county of Westmorland near Penrith, Cumbria.[1] The place-name is Old English, from stirc, styr(i}c or steorc bullock, and land, a piece of land or pasture.[2]
History
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Sizergh_Castle.jpg/300px-Sizergh_Castle.jpg)
The earliest known Strickland was a late-12th century landholder named Walter of Castlecarrock, who married Christian of Letheringham, an heiress to the landed estate that covered the area where the villages of Great Strickland and Little Strickland are now. After this marriage Walter became known as Walter de Strickland, spelt in various ways.[3]
When Sir William de Stirkeland (1242–1305) married Elizabeth Deincourt (or d'Eyncourt),[4] Sizergh Castle became the seat of this Strickland gentry family. A descendant, Thomas Strykeland is said to have carried the banner of St. George at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.[4] They also had a family chapel in the Kendal Parish Church (Holy Trinity),[5] and both Kendal and Penrith have main roads called Stricklandgate (The 'gate' element is from Old Norse gata, street). Other local landmarks include Strickland Wood, Warton near Carnforth.
They also gave their name to one of their properties, a settlement that first appeared on the west side of present-day Kendal with a Motte and Bailey fortification on it that became known as Kirkbie Strickland (Kirkbie is from Old Norse Kirkju, church, and by, village.[6]).
A Strickland gentry family seated at Gilsland was granted a coat of arms blazoned: Sable, three escallops argent, meaning "three white scallops on a black field".[citation needed]
List of persons with the surname Strickland
- Agnes Strickland, English historical writer and poet
- Alice Harrell Strickland, American politician and activist who was the first woman elected mayor in the U.S. state of Georgia
- Amzie Strickland, American TV and radio actress
- Audra Strickland, American politician
- Bill Strickland, American community leader (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Catharine Parr Traill, born Catharine Strickland, early emigrant from England to Canada
- Charles Strickland (disambiguation), several people
- David Strickland, American actor
- Donald Strickland, American football cornerback
- Donna Strickland, Canadian physicist, 2018 Nobel laureate
- Earl Strickland, American pool player
- Edgar Harold Strickland, English entomologist
- Erick Strickland, American basketball player
- Gail Strickland (born 1947), American film/television actress
- Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland (1861–1940), Maltese and British politician and peer
- Sir George Strickland, 7th Baronet (1782–1874), also known as Sir George Cholmley, an English Member of Parliament and lawyer
- Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811–1853), British naturalist
- Hunter Strickland, American baseball player
- Joey Strickland, retired U.S. Army colonel and Veterans Affairs Secretary for the state of Louisiana
- Jim Strickland (disambiguation), several people
- John Estmond Strickland (Hong Kong), UK-born former Chairman of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
- Joseph Strickland, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
- Josh Strickland, American singer/actor
- KaDee Strickland, American actress
- Keith Strickland, American musician
- Mabel Strickland, Anglo-Maltese journalist and politician
- Margaret Strickland, American judge
- Margaret Strickland, English writer of magazine stories and novels for adults and children,
- Marilyn Strickland, American politician
- Mark Strickland, American basketball player
- Michael Strickland (disambiguation), several people
- Peter Strickland (British Army officer), British Army officer who commanded the 1st Infantry Division during the First World War
- Randolph Strickland, American politician
- Robert Strickland, English landowner, politician and soldier
- Rod Strickland, American basketball coach and former professional basketball player
- Roy C. Strickland, American politician/businessman
- Sean Strickland, American mixed martial artist
- Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete
- Stan Strickland, American musician
- Stephanie Strickland, American poet
- Stephon Strickland, American professional wrestler professionally known as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott
- Susanna Moodie (Strickland), UK-born Canadian author
- Ted Strickland, American politician
- Terry A. D. Strickland, American convicted murderer who, until his arrest, was one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
- Tom Strickland, American lawyer and politician
- Thomas Strickland (cavalier), English politician and soldier
- Walter Strickland, English politician and diplomat who held high office during the Protectorate
- William Strickland (disambiguation), several people
See also
- Strickland (disambiguation)
- Strickland-Constable baronets
- Strickland Propane, a fictional propane and propane accessories supplier in the animated series King of the Hill
References
- ^ Reaney, P. H. (1997). A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford. p. 431. ISBN 978-0198600923.
- ^ Mills, A. D. (1993). A Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford. p. 314. ISBN 0192831313.
- ^ "Surname Database: Strickland Last Name Origin". The Internet Surname Database.
- ^ a b "Meet Henry Hornyold-Strickland, Sizergh". National Trust. Archived from the original on 2014-02-05.
- ^ "History of 12th century English church". Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ Mills, A. D. (1993). A Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford. p. 199. ISBN 0192831313.