Show ContentsDick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dick family

The surname Dick was first found in Belgium, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in Brabant, an ancient duchy from 1190 onward. Within the province Brussels and Louvain are the major cities and the smaller Clabecq, Tubize and Wavre towns. Other towns include Vilvorde, Tirlemont and Hal. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into a most influential family.

Early History of the Dick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dick research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1532 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Dick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dick Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dyck, Dycke, Dyckere, Dycken, Dyckern, Dick, Dicke, Dickenhausen, Dickenmann, Dickmann, Dyckmeester, Dycxhoorn, Dyke, van Dyke and many more.

Early Notables of the Dick family

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

Dick World Ranking

In the United States, the name Dick is the 1,388th most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Dick is ranked the 849th most popular surname with an estimated 6,309 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name Dick is the 9,006th popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Dick as 930th with 4,248 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Dick as 401st with 1,636 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Dick as 943rd with 7,365 people. 6


United States Dick migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dick Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anthony Dick, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 7
  • Jervis Dick, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 7
Dick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Dieterich Dick, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 7
  • Nicolaus Dick, who landed in New York in 1709-1710 7
  • Paul Dick, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 7
  • Mathias Dick, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1736
  • Freidric Dick, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Dick, who arrived in America in 1802
  • Isabella Dick, aged 16, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 7
  • John Dick, who landed in America in 1803 7
  • Jane Dick, who arrived in America in 1805 7
  • James Dick, who landed in America in 1805 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Dick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alexander Robertson Dick, who settled in Nebraska in 1918

Canada Dick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dick Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Robert Dick, who settled in Heart's Content, Newfoundland in 1682 8
Dick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Dick, who settled in Quebec in 1775
  • Mr. James Dick U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in St. George, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he is listed with the Loyalists and Disbanded Soldiers whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists 9
  • Mrs. Jannet Dick U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in St. George, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 she is listed with the Loyalists and Disbanded Soldiers whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists 9
  • Mr. John Dick U.E.(b. 1744) born in New York, USA who settled in St. George, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1786 he served in the 74th Regiment, listed with Loyalists and Disbanded Soldier whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists, he die din 1839 9
  • Mary Dick, who settled in Bonavista in 1797
Dick Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Elias Dick in Shoe Cove, Newfoundland in 1846 8
  • Robert Dick, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1848

Australia Dick migration to Australia +

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

Dick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Dick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Mr. John Dick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • Mr. James Dick, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
  • Ephriam Dick, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1848 13
  • John Dick, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolton" in 1848 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Dick 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:

Dick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • David Dick, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 14
  • Sarah Dick, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 14
  • Robert Dick, aged 2, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 14
  • John Dick, aged under 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 14
  • David Dick, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Bengal Merchant 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Dick 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. 16
Dick Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • John and Elizabeth Dick, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Dick (post 1700) +

  • Nancy E. Dick (b. 1930), American politician, 41st Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, Colorado's first female Lieutenant Governor (1979-1987)
  • Charlie Dick (1934-2015), American record promoter and widower of American country singer Patsy Cline
  • Paul Revere Dick (1938-2014), American musician, lead vocalist of Paul Revere and the Raiders
  • Michael James Dick (1946-1993), birth name of Michael Clarke, an American drummer for the 1960s rock group The Byrds
  • Kirby Bryan Dick (b. 1952), American Academy Award nominated film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor
  • Elisha Cullen Dick M.D. (1762-1825), American politician and physician, Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia (1804-1805)
  • Andrew Roane "Andy" Dick (b. 1965), American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer
  • Philip Kendred Dick (1928-1982), American science fiction author
  • George Frederick Dick (1881-1967), American physician, who, along with wife Gladys, co-discovered the germ responsible for scarlet fever and co-developed a curing serum for it
  • Albert Blake Dick (1856-1934), American inventor and manufacturer, who invented the mimeograph, founder of the AB Dick Company in 1884
  • ... (Another 45 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Flight 191
  • D Dick (d. 1979), American passenger from Woodland Hills, California, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 17
RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Annie Dick, American 3rd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 18
RMS Titanic
  • Mrs. Vera Dick, (née Gillespie), aged 17, Canadian First Class passenger from Calgary, Alberta who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 3 19
  • Mr. Albert Adrian Dick, aged 31, Canadian First Class passenger from Calgary, Alberta who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 3 19
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Ralph R. Dick, American Gunner's Mate First Class from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 20


Suggested Readings for the name Dick +

  • History of Peter and Christina Shutt Dick Family, Frederick Co. by Muriel Martens Hoffman.
  • Immigration to St. Joseph County, Indiana: Chronology of Four Germans-Catholic Families- Zaehnle, Dick, Lauber, Schmitt by Howard John Schmitt.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. 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)
  8. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  9. 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
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  11. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  12. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BOLTON 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Bolton.htm
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  17. Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
  18. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  19. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  20. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html


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