Pickle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Pickle date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in Pickhall (Pickhill), a parish, in the union of Thirsk, partly in the wapentake of Allertonshire, but chiefly in that of Hallikeld, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. 1 2 3

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was known as Picala and literally meant "nook of land by the pointed hills," from the Old English "pic" + "halh." 4

However, another source has a slightly different point of origin, having the name mean: 'dweller at the small enclosure’, from the Middle English pightel, pighel. 5

Early Origins of the Pickle family

The surname Pickle was first found in Yorkshire where early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Ricardus de Pighkeleys; and Stephanus de Pykedleghes. Bot resided "in the village of Haworth, in which district the two names are now so familiar. The Directory for Wilsden, West Riding of Yorks, contains the two following names, seemingly related: Nathan Pickles, beer-retailer; and Nathan Pighills, farmer." 6

Later in Lancashire, Henry Pickles was listed there in 1571 and later again, Arthur Pickles was found in Yorkshire in 1672. 5

Early History of the Pickle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pickle research. Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pickle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickle Spelling Variations

Pickle 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 Pickle have been found, including Pickles, Pickel, Pickle, Pykelworthe, Pickleworth and others.

Early Notables of the Pickle family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Pickles of Pickhill

Pickle Ranking

In the United States, the name Pickle is the 5,261^st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Pickle 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 Pickles to arrive on North American shores:

Pickle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jane Pickle, who landed in Virginia in 1712 8
Jerricks Felder Pickle, aged 32, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 8
Johan Philop Pickle, aged 16, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 8
Christopher Pickle, aged 48, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 8
Ludwick Pickle, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1755 8

Pickle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pickle Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Pickle Jr., U.E. (b. 1772) born in Tryon County, New York USA from Williamsborough, Tryon County, New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1783 he served in the King's Royal Regiment of New York 2nd Battalion as a Drummer 9
Mr. Nicholas Pickle U.E. (b. 1750) who settled in Upham Parish, Kings County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1848 9
Private. John Pickle Sr., U.E. (b. 1745) born in Germany from Williamsborough, Tryon County, New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1786, he resettled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario he enlisted in 1780 serving in the King's Royal Regiment of New York 2nd Battalion, married to Mary Anne having 5 children, he died in 1803 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Pickle (post 1700) +

Louise Pickle, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 1940, 1944 10
James Jarrell Pickle (1913-2005), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Texas 10th District, 1963-95 10

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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)
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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html