Kirk is an English masculine given name derived from the Old Norse word kirkja meaning "church", which itself comes from the Greek κυριακόν (kyriakon), meaning "belonging to the Lord." The name was popularized as a transferred use of the Scottish and Northern English surname Kirk, which originally denoted someone who lived near a church (compare modern English Church). As a surname, it is widespread in Scotland, especially in regions of Norse influence, reflecting the Viking settlement patterns in the British Isles.