Contents [hide]

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

United States Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Wicks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Wicks is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wicks family lived in Sussex. The name, however, derives from the Old English word wic, which describes someone who lives at an outlying settlement.

Early Origins of the Wicks family

The surname Wicks was first found in Surrey at Wyke, a tything, in the parish of Worplesdon, union of Guildford, First division of the hundred of Woking. "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of Wucha, and at an early period was held by a family called De Wyke." 1

Another branch of the family was found at Yatton in Somerset. "The greater portion of [the church of Yatton] appears to have been rebuilt in the 15th century, by the Wyck family, to one of whom is a monument bearing his effigy, in the north transept." 1

Thomas de Wykes (fl. 1258-1293), the English chronicler, took the habit of a canon regular at Osney Abbey, near Oxford, on 14 April 1282. "He mentions in his chronicle various namesakes and probable kinsfolk, including Robert de Wykes (d. 1246), Edith de Wyke (d. 1269), and John de Wykes, who in 1283 took a 'votum profectionis'. The name is a fairly common one, both as a personal and a place name, so that it is highly unsafe to identify him with other bearers of the same name, such as Thomas de Wyke, priest, who before 1249 wished to become a Franciscan friar." 2

Early History of the Wicks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wicks research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1222, 1293, 1430, 1554, 1593, 1621, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1641, 1643, 1683, 1684, 1699, 1703 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Wicks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wicks Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Weekes, Weeks, Wikes, Wykes, Wyke, Wix, Wicks, Weykes and many more.

Early Notables of the Wicks family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Wykes (1222-c.1293), English chronicler, a canon regular of Oseney Abbey, near Oxford; Thomas Wykes (died c.1430), Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wykes (fl. 1554), of Moreton Jeffries, Herefordshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Leominster in November 1554; Richard Wyche (or Wiche) (1554-1621), a...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wicks Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wicks World Ranking

In the United States, the name Wicks is the 3,045^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Wicks is ranked the 327^th most popular surname with an estimated 141 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Wicks is the 927^th popular surname with an estimated 4,254 people with that name. 5

Wicks migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Wicks or a variant listed above:

Wicks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Francis Wicks, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1635 6
Jo Wicks, aged 26, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard teh ship "Primrose" 6
Joseph Wicks, who landed in Maryland in 1650 6
Mary Wicks, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 6
Richard Wicks, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wicks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miss D L Wicks, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 6
H H Wicks, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 6

Wicks migration to Australia +

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

Wicks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Wicks who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 20th November 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Mr. Richard Wicks, British convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Robert Wicks, (b. 1815), aged 21, British boatman who was convicted in Cape of Good Hope, South Africa for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Miss Mary Wicks, English convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mary Wicks, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1839 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wicks 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:

Wicks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Jemima Wicks, (b. 1844), aged 23, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 12
Mr. George Wicks, (b. 1847), aged 27, English navvy from Essex travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 13
Elizabeth Wicks, aged 19, a housemaid, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874
Thomas Wicks, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1875
Edwin Wicks, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wicks migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 14

Wicks Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Susannah Wicks and her husband settled in Jamaica in 1684

Contemporary Notables of the name Wicks (post 1700) +

Camilla Dolores Wicks (1928-2020), American violinist and one of the first female violinists, known for her work with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sidney Wicks (b. 1949), retired American NBA basketball player
Charles Wicks (b. 1925), American Emeritus professor of chemical engineering
Peter James Wicks (b. 1988), English television personality and cast member on the ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex since 2015
Pippa Wicks (1962-1963), British businesswoman, executive director of John Lewis & Partners
John Wicks (d. 2018), British record producer and songwriter, working
Ronald Wicks (1939-2016), Canadian National Hockey League referee who officiated five Stanley Cup finals and 1,400 regular season games
Malcolm Hunt Wicks (b. 1947), British Labour Party politician who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1992-2012
Victoria Wicks (b. 1959), British actress
Ben Wicks CM (1926-2000), English-born, Canadian cartoonist, illustrator, journalist and author
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wicks family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Hubert G Wicks (b. 1921), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Poole, Dorsetshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 15

Prince of Wales colliery

Mr. Thomas Wicks (b. 1854), Welsh coal miner who was working at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn, Wales on the 11th September 1878 when there was a coal mine explosion; he died 16

The Wicks 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: Cari Deo nihilo carent
Motto Translation: Those dear to God want nothing.

Citations +

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/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THOMAS HARRISON 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839ThomasHarrison.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). 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
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Entombed in flood and flame (retrieved 3rd August 2021). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20120603025705/http://www.crosskeys.me.uk/history/prince.htm