English word origin

Etymology of Spike

From spike, variously from having spiky hair, being thin (like a railroad spike), etc.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A male nickname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From spike, variously from having spiky hair, being thin (like a railroad spike), etc.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "spike",
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  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A male nickname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "c0feaf6d1c373ad90b551b4b71058a978cf52a19c213cec27bad7cfeaa052064",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 333179
    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname transferred from the nickname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From spike, perhaps a nickname for a tall, thin person.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "spike",
      "spike#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname transferred from the nickname."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "944b786c5b571699b00c4fa3acabf27583cde53dcbbb3c1146c2092de2920aa5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 333180
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Spike →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-U3Bpa2U