| ![Show Contents]() Dicken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Dicken is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Dicken is a name that comes from the Norman baptismal name which means the son of Diccon, which is a diminution of the parent name, Richard. 1 Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. Most of the early appearances of the name were found in the French form Dicon, which lingered until the 16th century. Early Origins of the Dicken familyThe surname Dicken was first found in Staffordshire where one of the first listings of the name was Richard Dicum who listed in the Assize Rolls there in 1203. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire list John Dycon in 1327. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Richard Digon in London; Roger Digun; and Alice Dikun while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Alicia Dycon, mayden; Ricardus Dicon; and Willwlmus Diconson. 1 The reader should pay special attention to the term "mayden" in the last entry as while the modern spelling is obviously "maiden," we must realize that as it was noted in the rolls, Alicia Dycon was a woman who held lands and was a person of distinction; a feat rarely seen in the 13th century! Today most of the spellings of the surname are usually seen appended with "s." Early History of the Dicken familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dicken research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1770, 1787, 1793, 1812, 1816, 1870 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dicken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dicken Spelling VariationsBefore the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Dicken family name include Dickens, Dickins, Diggons, Diggens, Diggins, Dikens, Digons, Diquon and many more. Early Notables of the Dicken familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was - Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870), popular English novelist, buried in Westminster Abbey
Dicken RankingIn the United States, the name Dicken is the 7,762nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3  Migration of the Dicken family to Ireland
Some of the Dicken family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Dicken migration to the United States | + |
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Dicken family to immigrate North America:
Dicken Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Hugh Dicken, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 4
- Thomas Dicken, who settled in Antigua in 1685
Dicken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Mr. Weinken Dicken, aged 20, who arrived in New Orleans in 1845 aboard the ship "Agnes"
| Dicken migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Dicken Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. William Dicken, English convict who was convicted in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England for 10 years transported aboard the "Forfarshire" on 24th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
- John Dicken, aged 36, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 6
| Contemporary Notables of the name Dicken (post 1700) | + |
- John H. Dicken, American Republican politician, Chair of Wabash County Republican Party, 1905 7
- Paul Franklin Dicken (b. 1943), retired Major League Baseball player
- Darrell T. Dicken (b. 1977), American professional poker player
- Matthew Dicken (b. 1992), English youth darts player
- Dicken Ashworth (b. 1946), English actor, known for his role as Geoff Horton in Coronation Street from 1992 to 2000
| Historic Events for the Dicken family | + |
- Mr. Ronald Dicken, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 8
| Suggested Readings for the name Dicken | + |
- The Dickenson Families of England and America (Dickinson, Dickerson, Dickson, Dixon, etc.) by Bonnie Sage Ball.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/forfarshire
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
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Dicken migration to the United States 
Dicken migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
