Show ContentsHickson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Hickson family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name Richard. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Hickson family

The surname Hickson was first found in Staffordshire at Hixon, a village in the borough of Stafford. The places dates back to before the Domesday Book [1] where it was listed as Hustedone and was held by the Bishop of Chester. By 1130, the village was named Hutchtesdona. The place was derived from the Old English personal name "Hick" + "dun" and literally means "hill of a man called Hydt". [2]

Early History of the Hickson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hickson research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1381 is included under the topic Early Hickson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hickson Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Hickson include Hickson, Hixon and others.

Early Notables of the Hickson family

Notables of the family at this time include

Hickson Ranking

In the United States, the name Hickson is the 4,127th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Hickson family to Ireland

Some of the Hickson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Hickson migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Hickson were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Hickson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Geo. Hickson, who arrived in Virginia in 1657
  • Sarah Hickson, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 [4]
  • Henry Hickson, who landed in Maryland in 1670 [4]
Hickson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anne Hickson, who settled in Maryland in 1741
  • Benjamin Hickson, a bonded passenger, who arrived in America in 1760
  • Mathew Hickson, who settled in New England in 1770
Hickson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Hickson, who arrived in America in 1802 [4]
  • Thomas Hickson, who landed in America in 1810 [4]
  • William Hickson, who landed in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1817 [4]
  • Edward Hickson, who arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1817 [4]
  • Henry Hickson, who settled in New York in 1832
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Hickson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hickson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • William Hickson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Australia Hickson migration to Australia +

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

Hickson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Andrew Hickson, English convict who was convicted in Newark-on-Trent (Newark), Nottinghamshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [5]
  • Mr. William Hickson, British Convict who was convicted in Preston, Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Dudbrook" on 17th November 1852, arriving in Western Australia [6]
  • Ellen Louisa Hickson, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Lord of the Isles" [7]

New Zealand Hickson 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:

Hickson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • T W Hickson, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1823
  • Edward Joseph Hickson, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Hickson (post 1700) +

  • James Edward "J.J." Hickson (b. 1988), American professional basketball player
  • Patrick Hickson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1996 [8]
  • Katherine M. Hickson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1940, 1944, 1948 [8]
  • Joseph Hickson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1952 [8]
  • J. L. Hickson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1916 [8]
  • Joan Hickson OBE, (1906-1998), English actress of theatre, film and television, who achieved fame in her old age playing Agatha Christie's Miss Marple
  • Dave Hickson (b. 1929), English footballer
  • Paul Hickson Ph.D.,, Canadian Professor and Graduate Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia, President of the Canadian Astronomical Society
  • Simon Hickson, British comedian from duo Trevor and Simon
  • Rob Hickson, British singer

RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Kathryn Hickson, American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking [9]


The Hickson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide et fortitudine
Motto Translation: By fidelity and fortitude.


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dudbrook
  7. South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Lord of the Isles 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/jamesfernie1854.shtml
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


Houseofnames.com on Facebook