Show ContentsHelmick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Helmick comes from when its first bearer worked as a herdsman. The surname Helmick is derived from the Old English word helm, which means a covering. In some later dialects, this word took on the which means of a roofed shelter for cattle. Occupational names such as Helmick frequently were derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames.

Early Origins of the Helmick family

The surname Helmick was first found in Surrey where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Helmick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Helmick research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1180 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Helmick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Helmick Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Helmick include Helme, Helm, Helms and others.

Early Notables of the Helmick family

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

Helmick Ranking

In the United States, the name Helmick is the 5,162nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Helmick migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Helmick or a variant listed above:

Helmick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Eli A. Helmick, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
  • Anolda Helmick, aged 11, who settled in America, in 1907
  • S. Douglas A. D. Helmick, aged 53, who landed in America, in 1912
  • Ross J. Helmick, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1921
  • Roy J. Helmick, aged 28, who immigrated to America, in 1921

Canada Helmick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Helmick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Helmick U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Helmick (post 1700) +

  • William Helmick (1817-1888), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Ohio 15th District, 1859-61
  • Walt Dolph Helmick (b. 1944), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates, 1989; Member of West Virginia State Senate, 1989-2012
  • Abraham Lincoln Helmick (1864-1945), American Republican politician, Mining business; Postmaster; Tucker County Sheriff, 1904; Member of West Virginia State Senate, 1921-44 (14th District 1921-38, 15th District 1939-44)
  • A. E. Helmick, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1924
  • William Helmick (1817-1888), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1859-1861)
  • Walt Helmick (b. 1944), American politician, Member of the West Virginia Senate (1990-2012), West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture (2013-)
  • Frank Helmick (b. 1956), Lieutenant General in the United States Army, former Commanding General of the XVIII Airborne Corps
  • Major-General Charles Gardiner Helmick (1892-1991), American Commandant of Fort Meade (1945-1946) [3]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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
  3. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Charles Helmick. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Helmick/Charles_Gardiner/USA.html


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