Hicks History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The origins of the name Hicks are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the son of Richard. 1 In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Hicks family

The surname Hicks was first found in Yorkshire, where one of the first records of the name was found as a forename as Hikke de Sauteby who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1 "The chancel [of Low Leyton in Essex] contains some elegant monuments of the family of Hickes." 2

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on the phonetic appreciation of the names. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Hikke de Sauteby; Johanna Hickson; Henricas Hikson; Willelmus Hykson. 1

Again in Yorkshire, Richard Hick was registered there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1302 and later, William Hickys was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 3

Much farther to the south in the parish of St. Ewe in Cornwall, another branch of the family was found. "The manor of Tregain belonged formerly to an ancient family of the same name: in which place they resided until they removed to Golden in Probus; after which it was forfeited in the reign of Elizabeth. When the manor was dismembered, the barton became the property of Hicks, who possessed also the barton of Trevithick in this parish. At this latter place a mansion was erected by this family, in which they continued to reside until the death of John Hicks, Esquire, in 1734, in whom this branch of the family ended." 4

Early History of the Hicks family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hicks research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1543, 1551, 1596, 1612, 1619, 1620, 1621, 1628, 1629, 1642, 1680, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hicks History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hicks Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hicks family name include Hicks, Hickes, Hick, Hix and others.

Early Notables of the Hicks family

Notables of the family at this time include

Hicks World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hicks is the 131st most popular surname with an estimated 171,603 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Hicks is ranked the 459th most popular surname with an estimated 10,429 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Hicks is the 85th popular surname with an estimated 344 people with that name. 7 Australia ranks Hicks as 285th with 12,331 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Hicks as 592nd with 1,212 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Hicks as 368th with 17,035 people. 10

Migration of the Hicks family to Ireland

Some of the Hicks family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Hicks migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Hicks surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Hicks Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Hicks Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Hicks Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Hicks Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Hicks migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hicks Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Hicks migration to Australia +

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

Hicks Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Hicks 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:

Hicks Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Hicks (post 1700) +


The Hicks 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: Tout en bon heure
Motto Translation: All in good time.


Suggested Readings for the name Hicks +
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