Hickling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The lineage of the name Hickling begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in Hickling, a parish in the county of Norfolk.

Early Origins of the Hickling family

The surname Hickling was first found in Norfolk at Hickling, a village and a civil parish that dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Hikelinga. 1 The place name literally meant "settlement of a family or followers of man called Hicel," from the Old English personal name + "-ingas". 2 "A priory of Black canons, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St. Augustine, and All Saints, was founded in the year 1185, by Theobald de Valentia or Valoins." 3 Another Hickling is found in Nottinghamshire. This village near Melton Mowbray is on the southernmost border of Nottinghamshire. In this case, the place name was first listed as Hikelinge c. 1000 and later listed as Hechelinge in the Domesday Book. 2 St. Luke's church "is a handsome ancient structure, with a lofty tower: the lid of a stone coffin, curiously inscribed with Runic characters, has been discovered in the chancel." 3

Early History of the Hickling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hickling research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1163 and 1327 are included under the topic Early Hickling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hickling Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hickling has undergone many spelling variations, including Hickling, Hicklin, Hicking and others.

Early Notables of the Hickling family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Edward Hickling, Bishop of Norwich

Hickling migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Hickling were among those contributors:

Hickling Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Hickling, who settled in Boston in 1769
Ebenezer Hickling, who settled in Philadelphia in 1798

Hickling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Sarah Hickling, aged 47, who immigrated to America, in 1892

Hickling Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ernest Hickling, aged 29, who immigrated to America from London, in 1901
Edith Amy Hickling, aged 39, who settled in America from London, in 1905
Elizabeth Hickling, aged 49, who immigrated to the United States from Nottingham, England, in 1908
Arthur Hickling, aged 50, who landed in America from London, England, in 1908
Joseph Hickling, aged 16, who settled in America from Preston, England, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hickling migration to Australia +

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

Hickling Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Hickling, British Convict who was convicted in Leicester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 4
Mr. William Hickling, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 25th January 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Hickling (post 1700) +

William Hickling (1814-1881), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Ottawa, Illinois, 1853-55, 1865-66
Thomas Leslie Hickling (b. 1940), former English cricketer from Roydon, Norfolk
Mr. Edward Hickling, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1692 to 1693
Lieutenant General Francis John "Frank" Hickling AO CSC (1941-1998), senior Australian Army officer, Chief of Army (1998)
Garett Hickling (1970-1995), Canadian gold medalist wheelchair rugby player on the Canada national wheelchair rugby team, MVP at several the World Championships (1995, 1998 and 2002)
Ronald Arthur Overton Hickling (1912-2006), British ornithologist
Professor Reginald Hugh Hickling (1920-2007), British lawyer, colonial civil servant, law academic and author
William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859), American historian and Hispanist

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian