Home › Irish Surnames › Stack

Irish surname

Stack: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Stac · Middle English 'Stak,' 'Stake'; 'probably' 'at the stack' (steep rock or hill), or 'at the stock' (stump of a tree), from residence thereby

Woulfe (1923) gives Stack as Middle English Stak or Stake, probably 'at the stack' (steep rock or hill) or 'at the stock' (stump of a tree), from residence thereby. He calls the Stacks an old family in North Kerry, settled there at least since the latter part of the 13th century. In 1890, 53 of the 54 Stack birth entries in Ireland were in Munster.

Shop Stack crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Stack surname
Irish formStac
MeaningMiddle English 'Stak,' 'Stake'; 'probably' 'at the stack' (steep rock or hill), or 'at the stock' (stump of a tree), from residence thereby
CountiesKerry, Cork, Limerick
Other spellings2

Origin of the Stack name

Woulfe: 'The Stacks are an old family in North Kerry, where they have been settled, at least, since the latter part of the 13th century.' By the end of the 16th century they 'had become very numerous in North Kerry. They were then thoroughly Irish.'[1]

  1. Late 13th centuryWoulfe: the Stacks settled in North Kerry 'at least' since this time.[1]
  2. 1450Woulfe: Maurice Stak appointed Bishop of Adfert.[1]
  3. Thirty years after 1450Woulfe: John Stak bishop of the same see.[1]
  4. End of 16th centuryWoulfe: the Stacks very numerous in North Kerry and 'thoroughly Irish'.[1]
  5. 189054 Stack birth entries in Ireland: 29 in Kerry, 10 in Cork, 10 in Limerick.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. KerryWoulfe: North Kerry; 29 of 54 Stack entries in 1890.[1][2]
Co. Cork10 of 54 Stack entries in 1890.[2]
Co. Limerick10 of 54 Stack entries in 1890.[2]

Notable people named Stack

Maurice Stak1450Appointed Bishop of Adfert in 1450, according to Woulfe.[1]
John Stakthirty years after 1450Bishop of the same see thirty years later, according to Woulfe.[1]
Garrett Roe StackWoulfe: 'one of the principal leaders in the wars against Queen Elizabeth'.[1]

Other spellings

Stak · Stake[1]

The Stack coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Stack surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Stack crest gifts

Clan Stack Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapYK58 Classic Cap - Stack Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Stack Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Stack surname: questions

What does the surname Stack mean?

Woulfe gives it as Middle English Stak or Stake, probably 'at the stack' (steep rock or hill) or 'at the stock' (stump of a tree), from residence thereby.[1]

Is Stack an Irish name?

Woulfe derives Stack from Middle English 'Stak,' 'Stake'. He says the Stacks are an old family in North Kerry, settled there at least since the latter part of the 13th century, and that by the end of the 16th century they were 'thoroughly Irish'.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Stack name from?

Woulfe places the Stacks in North Kerry. In 1890, 29 of the 54 Stack birth entries in Ireland were in Kerry, 10 in Cork and 10 in Limerick.[1][2]

Who was Garrett Roe Stack?

Woulfe calls him 'one of the principal leaders in the wars against Queen Elizabeth'; he says nothing more about him.[1]

Sources

  1. Stac — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/s/stac.php
  2. Stack — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/stack.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).