Vicks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Vicks

What does the name Vicks mean?

The Vicks surname comes from the Anglo-Norman French "l’eveske," meaning "the bishop," which was wrongly rendered as le vesk, which in turn became Vesk, and later Veck or Vick. The name was likely originally either a nickname or an occupational name.

Early Origins of the Vicks family

The surname Vicks was first found in Lincolnshire where a Henry le Euske was on record in the Assize Rolls in 1218; Richard Veke was listed in Wiltshire around 1248; Robert Vesk was listed in 1275 in the Subsidy Rolls or Worcester; A Robert le Veck was listed in 1279 in Cambridgeshire in the Rotuli Hundredorum; and Richard le Veske was listed in 1296 in the Sudsidy Rolls of Sussex.

Early History of the Vicks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Vicks research. The years 1668 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Vicks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Vicks Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Vick, Veck, Vesk, Levick and others.

Early Notables of the Vicks family

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

Vicks migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Vicks or a variant listed above:

Vicks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

David Vicks, who landed in Maryland in 1668 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Vicks (post 1700) +

Albert P. Vicks, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Pennsylvania State Senate 49th District, 1956 2

Sources +

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html