Contents [hide]

Dickins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Dickins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change, including many immigrants with new names. Among these were the ancestors of the Dickins family, whose name comes from the Norman baptismal name which means the son of Diccon, which is a diminution of the parent name, Richard. 1

Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. Most of the early appearances of the name were found in the French form Dicon, which lingered until the 16th century.

Early Origins of the Dickins family

The surname Dickins was first found in Staffordshire where one of the first listings of the name was Richard Dicum who listed in the Assize Rolls there in 1203. The Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire list John Dycon in 1327. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Richard Digon in London; Roger Digun; and Alice Dikun while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Alicia Dycon, mayden; Ricardus Dicon; and Willwlmus Diconson. 1

The reader should pay special attention to the term "mayden" in the last entry as while the modern spelling is obviously "maiden," we must realize that as it was noted in the rolls, Alicia Dycon was a woman who held lands and was a person of distinction; a feat rarely seen in the 13th century! Today most of the spellings of the surname are usually seen appended with "s."

Early History of the Dickins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dickins research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1770, 1787, 1793, 1812, 1816, 1870 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dickins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dickins 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 Dickens, Dickins, Diggons, Diggens, Diggins, Dikens, Digons, Diquon and many more.

Early Notables of the Dickins family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870), popular English novelist, buried in Westminster Abbey.Mrs Dickons, daughter of a gentleman named Poole, was born in London about 1770. Her musical talent was early developed. She became a pupil of Rauzzini, and in 1787 appeared at Vauxhall Gardens as a singer. Her progress was rapid, and she became engaged at the Concert of Ancient Music and other concerts. On Oct...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dickins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dickins family to Ireland

Some of the Dickins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dickins 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 Dickins or a variant listed above:

Dickins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Dickins, who settled in Virginia in 1643
Danll Dickins, who arrived in Virginia in 1661 3

Dickins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Dickins, aged 20, who landed in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 3

Dickins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dickins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Dickins U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 180 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 4

Dickins migration to Australia +

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

Dickins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel Dickins, (b. 1794), aged 21, English convict who was convicted in Northamptonshire, England for 14 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1852 5
Mr. Joseph Dickins, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
John Dickins, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 7
Ann Dickins, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 7
Henry Dickins, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dickins 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:

Dickins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Dickins, aged 44, a station master, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Jane Dickins, aged 47, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Mary E. Dickins, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Charles H. Dickins, aged 8, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Emily Dickins, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dickins (post 1700) +

Curtis H. Dickins, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Brookfield; Elected 1946 8
Janine Dickins, American producer, best known for her work on Power Rangers
John Dickins (1746-1798), early Methodist preacher in the United States
Michael Dickins, English actor, best known for his work on Gladiator (2000) and Skyfall (2012)
Bruce Dickins FBA (1889-1978), British Professor of English Language at the University of Leeds from 1931 to 1946
Matthew James "Matt" Dickins (b. 1970), English professional goalkeeper
Rob Dickins CBE (b. 1950), English music industry executive
Zara Kate Dickins DBE (1909-1989), birth name of Dame Zara Bate, Australian fashion designer and wife of the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt
Clennell Haggerston "Punch" Dickins OC OBE DFC (1899-1995), Canadian pioneering aviator and bush pilot, nicknamed "Snow Eagle" and "White Eagle;" he was dubbed the "Flying Knight of the Northland"
Frederick Victor Dickins (1838-1915), British surgeon, barrister, orientalist and university administrator
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The PESTONJEE BOMANJEE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PestonjeeBomanjee.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2017, March 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html