Eastlake - Name

This like Westlake, is an English locational surname from a now 'lost' medieval village. We have no idea where Eastlake was situated, but it was probably in East Anglia, since this was the region where most lakes were systematically drained between the 15th and 18th centuries. The draining of the countryside was a major industry for nearly three hundred years, and it is estimated that as many as three thousand villages and hamlets as a result were effectively destroyed. Today in the late 20th century as with this one, often their only public reminder is the surviving surname. The origination is from the pre 7th century Olde English 'est-lac' which would have described a lake or pond to the east of the main village or town. Locational surnames were also 'from' names. That is to say names given to people after they left their former home to move somewhere else, l;eading to a wide dispertion of the surname. Early examples of the surname recording taken from surviving church registers of the city of London include Peter Easlake who married Ellen Morgan at the church of St Gregory's by St Pauls Cathedral, on June 24th 1624, and Mary Eastlake who was christened at Carter Lane church, Blackfriars, on May 5th 1743.