Show ContentsDickason History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Dickason

What does the name Dickason mean?

Dickason is a name that dates far back into the mists of early British history to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is derived from the personal name Richard. Dicca (in the modern form, Dick) is a diminutive of the name Richard. When the son suffix is added to the root, the name literally means son of Richard. 1 "Richard was commonly called Dick, and his sons, were styled 'Dickson' and 'Dickieson.' " 2

Early Origins of the Dickason family

The surname Dickason was first found in Lancashire at Wrightington, a township, in the parish of Eccleston, union of Wigan, hundred of Leyland. "Robert Dicconson, of Eccleston, married Anne, daughter of John Wrightington, and was grandfather of William, who was convicted of high treason in the reign of William III. The Dicconsons held the property until 1812, when Capt. Edward Dicconson died without issue, and was succeeded by a nephew, Thomas Eccleston, of Eccleston and Scarisbrick. His son Charles, on succeeding to this estate, assumed the name of Dicconson." 3

Welsh Whitte, again in Lancashire was another estate of the same family. It was originally known as Walsewythull and Walshwittell. "In 1707 it was forfeited by the treason of William Dickenson, then owner, but, owing to legal technicality, the manor was not seized by the crown; and the Dicconsons, his descendants, have since been the principal proprietors." 3

Early History of the Dickason family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dickason research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1366, 1388, 1594, 1624, 1659, 1663, 1670, 1696, 1700, 1707, 1712, 1713, 1717, 1719, 1722, 1741, 1752 and 1869 are included under the topic Early Dickason History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dickason Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Dickason are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Dickason include: Dickieson, Dickinson, Dickeson, Dickenson and others.

Early Notables of the Dickason family

Notables of the family at this time include John Dickenson (fl. 1594), English romance-writer of unknown origin. 4Jonathan Dickinson (1663-1722) was a Quaker merchant from Port Royal, Jamaica who was shipwrecked on the southeast coast of Florida in 1696, along with his family and the other passengers and crew members of the ship. He twice served as Mayor of Philadelphia, in 1712-1713 and 1717-1719. His journal was reprinted sixteen times in English, and three times each in Dutch and German translations, between...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dickason Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dickason family to Ireland

Some of the Dickason 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.


Dickason migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Dickason or a variant listed above:

Dickason Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Dickason, who arrived in Maryland in 1660 5
  • Margaret Dickason, who arrived in Maryland in 1660 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Dickason (post 1700) +

  • John H. Dickason, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Governor of Ohio, 1916 6
  • Don L. Dickason (d. 1999), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Mexico State Senate 5th District, 1937 6
  • Vance Dickason (b. 1974), American loudspeaker designer, consultant, founder of Speaker Research Associates in 1974
  • Harry Dickason (1890-1962), British bronze medalist gymnast at the 1912 Summer Olympics
  • Olive Patricia Dickason OC (1920-2011), Canadian historian, recipient of the Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1997


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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