Pickens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Early Origins of the Pickens family

The surname Pickens was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where the family was found since the early Middle Ages. The name is generally understood to be an occupational name for someone who used a pick or made picks for use in the many agricultural areas of this county and adjacent ones. The name was originally derived from the Middle English work "pik." However, the name could also have been derived from the Norman French personal name "Picon." Further south in England, the name could also have been a local name, derived from locals like Langdale Pikes.

Early History of the Pickens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pickens research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1590, 1621, 1624, 1769, 1816 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pickens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickens Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Pick, Picke, Pickin, Picken, Pickins, Pickens, Pickon, Pickons, Pike and many more.

Early Notables of the Pickens family

More information is included under the topic Early Pickens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickens Ranking

In the United States, the name Pickens is the 1,953^rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Pickens family to Ireland

Some of the Pickens family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickens migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pickens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Pickens, who arrived in New England in 1732 2
John Pickens, who landed in Virginia in 1740 2

Pickens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Pickens, aged 55, who landed in America from London, in 1893
Mrs. Pickens, aged 31, who settled in America, in 1896
Dora Pickens, aged 40, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896

Pickens Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. J. W. Pickens, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
J. W. Pickens, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1905
Jessie Pickens, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
Charles H. Pickens, aged 49, who settled in America, in 1906
Elizabeth Pickens, aged 18, who settled in America, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Pickens (post 1700) +

Thomas Boone "T." Pickens Jr. (1928-2019), American businessman and philanthropist, ranked by Forbes as the 117th-richest person in America
Slim Pickens (1919-1983), stage name of Louis Burton Lindley, Jr., American actor and cowboy best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr. Strangelove and Blazing Saddles
William Pickens (1881-1954), American orator, educator, journalist, and essayist, probably best remembered for The Heir of Slaves (1910) and Bursting Bonds (1923)
Willie Pickens (1931-2017), American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator from Milwaukee
James Pickens Jr. (b. 1954), American actor, best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber on the medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy
Francis Wilkinson Pickens (1805-1869), American politician, 69th Governor of South Carolina (1860-1862)
Andrew Pickens (1739-1817), American revolutionary soldier and US Congressman, South Carolina, eponym of Fort Pickens, Pensacola, Florida
Jean Paul "J.P." Pickens (1937-1973), American musician, poet and artist
Carl McNally Pickens (b. 1970), former American football wide receiver in the NFL
Andrew Pickens (1779-1838), American military and political leader who served as the 46th Governor of South Carolina
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)