Recorded in the spellings of Ida, Ide and the diminutive Ikin, and a patronymic diminutive Ikins, this surname is derived from an Anglo-Saxon personal name of the pre 8th Century. The origin is the Olde German word "idja", translating as "to work" or "to be industrious"m meanings which no doubt contributed to its original popularity. The personal name as "Ida" was once equally popular for both male and female, and remained so with the Norman Invaders of England in 1066. For some unknown reason it appears to have died out completely as a personal name by the 15th Century although it was revived and again achieved some popularity after 1847 when Tennysons poem "The Princess Ida" appeared. The surname as "Ide" may have an alternative origin for some nameholders, and be locational from the village of Ide near Exeter in Devon. However as it is not recorded in that county before 1831, when William Ide was christened at Thorveton Church on the 20th of February of that year, there is some considerable doubt. Other examples of the name recording taken from surviving church registers of the ppost medieval period include: Richard Ikin who married Elizabeth Stone in London in 1583, whilst Anthony Ide married Margaret Sorrell at St. Gabriel's Church, London on June 14th 1599. The name had national prominence in the 1950's with cricketer Jack Ikin of Lancashire and England. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Idekyne, which was dated 1324, in the "Warwick Pipe Rolls", during the reign of King Edward ll, known as "Edward of Caernafon" 1307 - 1327.

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