Show ContentsRick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Rick dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the county of Somerset. Rick is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. In this case the surname was originally derived from the Old English word risc which refers to those individuals who lived near the rushes. [1]

Alternatively, the name could have been Saxon in origin, denoting "a powerful, rich, or generous disposition, from ric, rich." [2]

Rixon is a village near Sturminster Newton in Dorset.

Early Origins of the Rick family

The surname Rick was first found in Cheshire where the mononym Rike was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1260. A few years later, Osbert, John de la Rixe was recorded in Somerset in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1274. In Suffolk, Ema Ricke and David Rickes were listed there in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and later, Richard Rycke and Milcentia Ryckes were listed at Colchester in 1330 and 1351. In Devon, Roger ate Rixe was listed in 1302 and back in Somerset, William atte Ryxe was listed there in 1333. [1]

Early History of the Rick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rick research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1274 and 1333 are included under the topic Early Rick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rick Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Rick have been found, including Ricks, Rickes, Rick, Rix, Rixon, Ricke and others.

Early Notables of the Rick family

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

Rick Ranking

In the United States, the name Rick is the 6,157th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [3]


United States Rick migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Rick, or a variant listed above:

Rick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Edward Rick, who landed in Virginia in 1705 [4]
  • John Jurgh Rick, aged 32, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 [4]
  • Johan Christian Rick, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 [4]
  • Herman Rick, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 [4]
  • Johannes Rick, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1764 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Rick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Rick, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 [4]
  • August Rick, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1860 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Rick (post 1700) +

  • Edwin Marvin Rick (1901-1999), American middle-distance runner in the men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 1924 Summer Olympics
  • Johannes Rick (1869-1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycologist
  • Alan Rick Miranda (b. 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
  • Robert Rick McCammon (b. 1952), American novelist; he has had three New York Times bestsellers with around 5 million books in print
  • Savage" Rick Cheek (b. 1977), American Super Heavyweight kickboxer and mixed martial artist
  • James Rick Langford (b. 1952), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1976 through 1986
  • Rick Boland (1954-2024), Canadian actor
  • Rick Gieser (b. 2023), American producer, known for Out of the Loop, WGN Morning News (1994) and Radiogirl Podcast (2009)
  • Rick Duckett (1957-2024), American college basketball coach
  • Rick Porras, American producer, notably co-producing The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

Bismarck
  • Werner Rick (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking [5]


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  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. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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