Contents [hide]

Dickinson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Dickinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the name Dickinson are with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from the personal name Richard. Dicca (in the modern form, Dick) is a diminutive of the name Richard. When the son suffix is added to the root, the name literally means son of Richard. 1 "Richard was commonly called Dick, and his sons, were styled 'Dickson' and 'Dickieson.' " 2

Early Origins of the Dickinson family

The surname Dickinson was first found in Lancashire at Wrightington, a township, in the parish of Eccleston, union of Wigan, hundred of Leyland. "Robert Dicconson, of Eccleston, married Anne, daughter of John Wrightington, and was grandfather of William, who was convicted of high treason in the reign of William III. The Dicconsons held the property until 1812, when Capt. Edward Dicconson died without issue, and was succeeded by a nephew, Thomas Eccleston, of Eccleston and Scarisbrick. His son Charles, on succeeding to this estate, assumed the name of Dicconson." 3

Welsh Whitte, again in Lancashire was another estate of the same family. It was originally known as Walsewythull and Walshwittell. "In 1707 it was forfeited by the treason of William Dickenson, then owner, but, owing to legal technicality, the manor was not seized by the crown; and the Dicconsons, his descendants, have since been the principal proprietors." 3

Early History of the Dickinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dickinson research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1366, 1388, 1594, 1624, 1659, 1663, 1670, 1696, 1700, 1707, 1712, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1722, 1741, 1752 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Dickinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dickinson Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Dickinson has been spelled many different ways, including Dickieson, Dickinson, Dickeson, Dickenson and others.

Early Notables of the Dickinson family

Notables of the family at this time include

Jonathan Dickinson (1663-1722) was a Quaker merchant from Port Royal, Jamaica who was shipwrecked on the southeast coast of Florida in 1696, along with his family and the other passengers and crew mem...
Edmund Dickinson or Dickenson (1624-1707), was an English physician and alchemist, son of the Rev. William Dickinson, rector of Appleton in Berkshire. 4
James Dickinson (1659-1741), was an English Quaker, "born in 1659 at Lowmoor House, Dean, Cumberland, was the son of Quaker parents of fair means and position, both of whom he lost when very young." (...

Dickinson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Dickinson is the 1,177^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Dickinson is ranked the 687^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,708 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Dickinson is the 729^th popular surname with an estimated 986 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Dickinson as 312^nd with 19,497 people. 8

Migration of the Dickinson family to Ireland

Some of the Dickinson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dickinson migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Dickinsons to arrive in North America:

Dickinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jerimiah Dickinson, aged 26, who landed in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Margaret & John" 9
Elzabeth Dickinson, aged 38, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 aboard the ship "Margaret & John" 9
Nathaniel Dickinson, who landed in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1634 9
Elizabeth Dickinson, who landed in New England in 1637 9
Anthony Dickinson, who arrived in Virginia in 1640 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dickinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alice Dickinson, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1702 9
George Dickinson, who landed in Virginia in 1716 9
Benjamin Dickinson, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1717-1718 9
Gilchrist Dickinson, who landed in New York in 1789 9
James Dickinson, who arrived in New York in 1799 9

Dickinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gordon Dickinson, who arrived in America in 1804 9
Philemon Dickinson who was a tanner of Salem
Thomas Dickinson, who landed in New York, NY in 1832 9
William Dickinson, who landed in New York in 1833 9
T H Dickinson, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dickinson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dickinson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Isaac Dickinson U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Mr. James Dickinson U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Mr. Samuel Dickinson U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Queens County, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Mr. Tertullus Dickinson U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 10
Major Turtulus Dickinson U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dickinson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Myron Dickinson, who arrived in Canada in 1840
Mr. George Dickinson, aged 2 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Primrose" departing from the port of Limerick, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 11
Mrs. Margaret Dickinson, aged 26 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Cape Breton" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 11
Mrs. Dickinson, aged 50, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1864

Dickinson migration to Australia +

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

Dickinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Dickinson, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), listed as absconded 12
Mr. William Dickinson who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. John Dickinson, British Convict who was convicted in Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, West Indies for life, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
David Dickinson, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
Samuel Dickinson, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dickinson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dickinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Robert Dickinson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 16
Joseph Dickinson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Aloe" in 1863
Mr. John Dickinson, (b. 1840), aged 34, English fitter from Yorkshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 17
Mrs. Ellen Dickinson, (b. 1835), aged 39, English settler from Yorkshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 17
Mr. Thomas Dickinson, (b. 1854), aged 20, English settler from Yorkshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dickinson (post 1700) +

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), American major poet from Amherst, Massachusetts, but fewer than a dozen of her nearly eighteen hundred poems were published during her lifetime
Angie Dickinson (b. 1931), born Angeline Brown, an American Golden Globe Award winning and three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominated television and film actress
Edward Fenwick Dickinson (1829-1891), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (1869-1871)
Anna Elizabeth Dickinson (1842-1932), American orator and lecturer, an advocate for the abolition of slavery and for women's suffrage, she was the first woman to give a political address before the United States Congress
Almaron Dickinson (1800-1836), American Texan soldier and defender during the Battle of the Alamo
Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson (1814-1883), American mother who with her infant daughter Angelina were among the few American survivors of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution
David W. Dickinson (1808-1845), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee (1833-1835)
Edward Dickinson (1803-1874), American politician, father of the poet Emily Dickinson
Andrew Bray Dickinson (1801-1873), American politician from New York
Daniel Stevens Dickinson (1800-1866), American politician, 27th Attorney General of New York (1862-1863)
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Dickinson family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. John Faulkner Dickinson, English Third Waiter from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18

USS Arizona

Mr. Merle E. Dickinson, American Gunner's Mate Third Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 19

Suggested Readings for the name Dickinson +

The Dickenson Families of England and America (Dickinson, Dickerson, Dickson, Dixon, etc.) Bonnie Sage Ball,
Dickerson and Dickinson Descendants of Philemon Dickerson of Southold, Long Island, N.Y. Also Long Island Descendants of Captain John Dickinson of Oyster Bay by Wesley Logan Baker.
Descendants of Nathaniel Dickinson by Elinor V. Smith.

Citations +
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 24)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html