Where does “Kirk” come from?
Kirk derives from Old Norse kirkja, from Ancient Greek κυριακόν (the Lord's house), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱēw- (to swell or grow).
Kirk (English): surname
Ancestry of “Kirk”, step by step
Kirk traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Norwegian Nynorsk kyrke
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Nynorsk | kyrke | to strangle |
| 2 | Old Norse | kirkja | church |
| 3 | Old English | ċiriċe | church |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kirikā | church |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κυριακόν | church |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Κύριος | Lord |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *kúrios | lord, master |
via English Shaw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Shaw | for someone who lived by a small wood or copse |
| 2 | Old English | sceaga | copse, thicket |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skagō | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skōgaz | forest, wood |
Words derived from “Kirk”