Decker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Decker is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as a worker who was a dike or ditch maker.
Early Origins of the Decker family
The surname Decker was first found in East Sussex and either Upper Dicker or Lower Dicker, villages that date back to 1229 where they were listed as Diker.
The place name is derived from the Middle English word "dyker" which means "ten" as in a plot of land for which ten iron rods were paid in rent. 1
Early History of the Decker family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Decker research. Another 258 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1210, 1296, 1327, 1379, 1572, 1577, 1600, 1625, 1628, 1631, 1632 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Decker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Decker Spelling Variations
Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Decker include Dicker, Decker, Deeker, Dyker, Dikkers, Ditcher and many more.
Early Notables of the Decker family
Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Dekker (c. 1572-1632), an English Elizabethan dramatist and pamphleteer. "His birthplace was London, as he intimates in ‘The Seuen Deadly Sinnes,’ 1600, and in ‘A Rod for Run-awayes,’ 1625. In ‘Warres, Warres, Warres,’ a tract published in 1628, he describes himself as an old man; and in the dedication to ‘Match...
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Decker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Decker World Ranking
In the United States, the name Decker is the 637th most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Decker is ranked the 236th most popular surname with an estimated 187 people with that name. 3 And in France, the name Decker is the 2,088th popular surname with an estimated 3,019 people with that name. 4
Decker migration to the United States +
Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Decker were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:
Decker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Hans Schiedt Decker, who arrived in New York in 1709 5
- Johan Decker, who arrived in New York in 1709 5
- Casper Decker, aged 40, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 5
- Roedolph Decker, aged 40, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 5
- Rudolph Decker, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Decker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James T Decker, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1812 5
- C. H. Decker, who settled in Baltimore Maryland in 1820
- C. H. Decker, age 30 who settled in Baltimore, Maryland in 1820
- Joh Caspar Decker, who arrived in America in 1837 5
- Ernest W Decker, who arrived in St Clair County, Illinois in 1840 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Decker migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Decker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Henry Decker U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 6
- Mr. Reuben Decker U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 6
- Mr. Thomas Decker U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 6
Contemporary Notables of the name Decker (post 1700) +
- Susan Lynne "Sue" Decker (b. 1962), American president of Yahoo! Inc in 2007 and 2008
- Stephen Michael Decker (b. 1965), American former Major League Baseball catcher
- Richard Decker (1907-1988), American cartoonist and illustrator
- Allen Francis Decker (b. 1929), American special agent for the FBI (1956-59) before becoming a prominent banker
- John Decker (1895-1947), American painter, set designer, and caricaturist in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s
- Almarian William Decker (1852-1893), American pioneer of electrical engineering
- Brooklyn Decker (b. 1987), American fashion model
- General George Henry Decker (1902-1980), Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962
- Abram W. Decker, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Sullivan County, 1860 7
- Abram I. Decker, American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Tioga County, 1889-90; Delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1892 7
- ... (Another 62 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Decker family +
USS Arizona
- Mr. Deward Decker, American Coxswain working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 8
Suggested Readings for the name Decker +
- The Decker Genealogy: Some Descendants of the Dutch Immigrants Johannes Gerretsen and Jan Broersen: A Compilation by Benton Weaver Decker.
- Ours, Then and Now: Anneke Jans Bogardus, Van Horn, Yates, Decker, and Allied Lines by Elinor Randlemon.
Citations +
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html