Show ContentsDicker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Dicker family name dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name comes from when an early member worked as a worker who was a dike or ditch maker.

Early Origins of the Dicker family

The surname Dicker was first found in East Sussex and either Upper Dicker or Lower Dicker, villages that date back to 1229 where they were listed as Diker.

The place name is derived from the Middle English word "dyker" which means "ten" as in a plot of land for which ten iron rods were paid in rent. 1

Early History of the Dicker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dicker research. Another 258 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1210, 1296, 1327, 1379, 1572, 1577, 1600, 1625, 1628, 1631, 1632 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Dicker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dicker Spelling Variations

Dicker has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Dicker have been found, including Dicker, Decker, Deeker, Dyker, Dikkers, Ditcher and many more.

Early Notables of the Dicker family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Dekker (c. 1572-1632), an English Elizabethan dramatist and pamphleteer. "His birthplace was London, as he intimates in ‘The Seuen Deadly Sinnes,’ 1600, and in ‘A Rod for Run-awayes,’ 1625. In ‘Warres, Warres, Warres,’ a tract published in 1628, he describes himself as an old man; and in the dedication to ‘Match...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dicker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Dicker migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Dickers to arrive on North American shores:

Dicker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Edward Dicker, who landed in Virginia in 1638 2
  • William Dicker, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1663
  • William Dicker, who landed in Maryland in 1670 2
Dicker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • David Dicker, aged 29, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1741 2
  • David Dicker, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1741
  • Michael Dicker, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1753
Dicker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Wilhelm Dicker, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1840 2

Australia Dicker migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dicker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Dicker, (b. 1814), aged 21, British convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "England" on 6th June 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • John Dicker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" in 1849 4
  • Charles Dicker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tory" in 1851 5
  • Alice Dicker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tory" in 1851 5
  • Elizabeth Dicker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tory" in 1851 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dicker (post 1700) +

  • Samuel Byron Dicker (b. 1889), American Republican politician, Mayor of Rochester, New York, 1939-55 6
  • Matthew Dicker, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2004 6
  • Herbert Dicker, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 13th District, 1970 6
  • Edward T. Dicker, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1952 6
  • Samuel Byron Dicker (1889-1960), American lawyer and statistician
  • Fredric Uberall "Fred" Dicker, long time American columnist for the New York Post
  • Ruth Doerschuk Dicker (1919-2004), California painter of landscapes
  • Leslie Raymond 'Les' Dicker (b. 1926), former English professional footballer
  • John Dicker (1815-1895), English cricketer
  • Samuel Dicker (b. 1760), English politician
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Richard Dicker, British Signalman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 7


Suggested Readings for the name Dicker +

  • A Jewish Family Trail: The Dickers and Their Mates by Herman Dicker.

  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
  4. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TORY 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Tory.htm
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. 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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