The origin of the name Berkey is Irish and the Coat of Arms contains Red cross on a gold shield with a black lion rampant in the top left corner. The Crest is A mountain cat chained. The family motto is Ung roy, ung foy, ung loy.
Spelling variations include: de Burgh, Burke, Bourke, Burk, Bourk, Gillick and many more.
First found in county Galway where they had been granted lands by Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke, for their assistance in the invasion of Ireland in 1172.
Some of the first settlers of this name or some of its variants were: Ann Burk who settled in Virginia in 1647; James and Tobias Burk settled in the Barbados in 1680; with their servants; Elizabeth Burk settled in Maryland in 1774.
