Derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century, 'Sic'. The name is topographical for a 'Dweller by the Small Stream or Gully'. The name has developed as Sich or Sitch in Southern England and in the North as the more often recorded Sike or Syke, the plural in all cases meaning 'The Son of Sik, Sic, or Sike. Sir Tatton Sykes was an early agriculturalist and horse breeder (1772 - 1867) whilst Arthur Ashley Sykes (1684 - 1756) was a writer of Church Theology. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ralph de Sich which was dated 1166 The Norfolk County Pipe Rolls during the reign of King Henry 11 The Builder 1154 - 1189 Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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