We can trace our family name back to at least the 1600s. No one could accurately count the number of folks who have carried this fine name over the centuries. It is a strong name. The Dutch know strength, as symbolized by the massive dykes, which hold back the sea as nowhere else in the world. Whoever the patriarch was who chose this name did not do it in a frivolous moment. We are proud to carry the name and to identify with those who carry and have carried the name over 400+ years. We will never deny our roots.


We find ourselves in a spot of history where many words have taken on new meaning. Often this is not for the good. Gay no longer means happy. Good is evil and evil good. Not that mankind hasn’t always had these tendencies. It has just become more personal as it is our name that has been redefined in a negative manner.

We have all met folks whose last name so shocked us that we have literally said: “If that was my name I would change it”. Who was the patriarch that put such a burden on their offspring? Well, again, it may well be that meanings and sounds of names have been altered with time.

On a regular basis our sons come home with stories of how they have been harassed both verbally as well as physically, simply because their name was something to ridicule. It’s not because it rhymes with something . . . it is because the word itself is something used to debase another individual. In the old days, a boy could have shown that, not only did he bear a strong name; he also packed a strong punch. That would have settled many such situations. Today, even one such incident can redirect a child to places we would rather not go. One case this past year proved just that. Our son was kicked repeatedly and so severely that when the authorities were asked to investigate, the other child was actually brought to court and sentenced for the crime. Our son showed restraint and escaped a similar fate.

As an adult, I may deal with the negative comments and social awkwardness when someone snickers at my name and makes sexual jokes about it. I can’t expect this of my children on a daily basis. We have no daughters with the hope of someday trading the name for a spouse’s name. We have 5 sons. Their only “Dyck” cousins are girls who may not carry the name for long. We are at a point in history where there will be a new and very evident branch to the Dyck family tree.





We have puzzled over the solution ongoing for a long time. We have repeatedly reminded our sons of the strength and heritage of our name – the many godly ancestors who passed on not just the name but the strength of faith and the genetics of their present and future successes. Should we just pronounce it differently? Or have a slight variation of spelling? Well Dyke is now a lesbian term. Dueck would lump us in with another branch of heritage that would always question if we belonged. Deek would work but sound kind of corny. Duke again links us up with a heritage that would struggle to claim us.

The solution was to come up with a new name completely. We thought of combining our family name with Gloria’s maiden name. Casseldyke really sounds cool but again carries the lesbian component. After googling the WWW for alternatives we discovered a variation that does not exist anywhere in the world. It combines components of both names yet establishes a definite new name.


It will take some getting used to . . . for everyone, other than the IRS! Here’s what we like about the name:
 
1.    No one else in the world has it!
2.    The D and K are the strong consonants of the Dyck family name and give some resemblance to the main trunk of the family tree.
3.    We remain in a similar alphabetical order.
4.    “De” sounds Dutch to many – underlining the Dutch heritage of the family.
5.    “De” actually is more French than Dutch – it is a common indicator of people with Huguenot heritage. These were folks who believed to the death and were not so earthbound as to hold to land or country.
6.    Kastle – Similar to the Cassel in Casselman (Gloria’s maiden name)
7.    Kastle spelled with a K to lend a German aspect to the name – We both have some of that blood too.
8.    Kastle with “stl” instead of “ssel” to include an English element in the name as well, as our combined genetics would portray.
9.    DeKastle = Of the Castle. This denotes strength, safety, protection and endurance. All these we seek to pass on to the generations to come.

Some may question the sanity of changing a name of long heritage. After all, they should carry on the name for the sake of the ancestors. I am more concerned with my children who carry the name than the name they may carry.

Our offspring will never wonder whether they belonged to the Dukes, Dykes or Duecks. They will always be able to trace their roots back to the Dyck name and follow it back from there. In many ways, we may actually give more strength to the Dyck name within the future family tree because it will forever be a talking point whenever the topic comes up. We don’t in any way want to disassociate ourselves from our heritage. We simply are establishing further strength to build a lasting heritage into the future.

Reuben J. DeKastle