Herrick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Herrick originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the Old Danish and Old Swedish name Erik and the Old Norse name Eiríkr. Many Scandinavian personal names were left in the British Isles as a legacy of the Viking raids which plagued the coastal regions of Britain from the 8th to 10th centuries, and many of these eventually became Anglo-Saxon surnames.
Early Origins of the Herrick family
The surname Herrick was first found in Leicestershire. The name was listed as Eiric, Eric, and Erish in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 John Eirich was the first listing of the family in Leicestershire in 1211. 2
"There is a tradition that the most ancient family of the Ericks derive lineage from Erick the Forester, a great commander, who raised an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror, by whom he was vanquished, but afterwards employed to command that prince's forces, and in old age retired to his house in Leicestershire, where his family hath continued ever since." 3
Early History of the Herrick family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herrick research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1557, 1591, 1592, 1600, 1658, 1667, 1674, 1685, 1686, 1694, 1695 and 1753 are included under the topic Early Herrick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Herrick Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Herrick has appeared include Herrick, Herricke and others.
Early Notables of the Herrick family
Notables of the family at this time include
- Robert Herrick (1591-1674), and English poet, the fourth son of Nicholas Herrick, a goldsmith in Cheapside, by his wife Julian Stone who was baptised at the church of St. Vedast, Foster Lane, on 24 Au...
- Thomas Heyrick (d. 1694), English poet and divine, son of Thomas Heyrick of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and grandson of Thomas Heyrick (or Herrick), elder brother of Robert Herrick the poet, ed...
- Richard Heyrick (1600-1667), was warden of Manchester Collegiate Church, born in London on 9 Sept. (or according to Robinson, Merchant Taylors' School Register, on 25 May) 1600, was cousin to Robert H...
- George Herrick (c. 1658-1695), was an American Marshal for the Court of Oyer and Terminer during the Salem Witch Trials
- Richard Heyrick (1600-1667), was Warden of Manchester Collegiate Church, born in London on 9 Sept. 1600. He was cousin to Robert Herrick [q. v.], the poet, and son of Sir William Hericke [q. v.], alde...
Herrick Ranking
In the United States, the name Herrick is the 3,187th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4
Migration of the Herrick family to Ireland
Some of the Herrick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Herrick migration to the United States +
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Herrick arrived in North America very early:
Herrick Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Henry Herrick, who landed in Massachusetts in 1629 5
- Henry Herrick, who settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630
- Thomas Herrick, who settled in Virginia in 1636
- William Herrick, who landed in Long Island in 1640 5
- John Herrick, who arrived in Virginia in 1643 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Herrick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Catharine Herrick, aged 50, who landed in America from Co. Kerry, in 1893
- Alice Herrick, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
Herrick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- D. Herrick, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1903
- Charles R. Herrick, aged 34, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1904
- Anna Herrick, aged 54, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
- Bessie Herrick, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1907
- Caroline Herrick, who immigrated to the United States, in 1909
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Herrick 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:
Herrick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- William J Herrick, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Fifeshire
Contemporary Notables of the name Herrick (post 1700) +
- Joshua Herrick (1793-1874), American politician, Member of U.S. House of Representatives from Maine (1843-1845)
- Myron Timothy Herrick (1854-1929), American politician and diplomat, 42nd Governor of Ohio (1904-1906), U. S. Ambassador to France (1912-1914)
- Ebenezer Herrick (1785-1839), American politician, U.S. Representative from Maine (1825-1827), father of Anson Herrick
- Anson Herrick (1812-1868), American politician, U.S. Representative from New York during the American Civil War
- Robert Welch Herrick (1868-1938), American novelist and politician, acting-Governor of the United States Virgin Islands in 1935
- Brigadier-General Hugh Nathan Herrick (1892-1983), American Commandant Anti-Aircraft Replacement Training Center at Camp Wallace (1943-1944) 6
- Margaret Herrick (1902-1976), American Executive Director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 27 years, generally credited with naming the Academy Award an "Oscar"
- Ann Herrick, American award-winning author
- Christopher Herrick (b. 1942), English concert organist
- Lynn Herrick, English photographer
- ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Herrick family +
USS Arizona
- Mr. Paul Edward Herrick, American Private from Wisconsin, 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 7
The Herrick Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtus omnia nobilitat
Motto Translation: Virtue ennobles all things.
Suggested Readings for the name Herrick +
- The Herrick Family in England and America by Edith Herrick Milhorat.
- Herrick: A Genealogical Register of the Name and Family of Herrick From the Settlement of Henrie in Salem, Massachusetts, 1629 to 1846, With a Concise Notice of Their English Ancesry by Jedediah Herrick.
Citations +
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 12) Hugh Herrick. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Herrick/Hugh_Nathan/USA.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