Show ContentsDicksee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Dicksee surname finds its earliest origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name is derived from the German derivative of Dix where it was the short form for Benedikt.

Early Origins of the Dicksee family

The surname Dicksee was first found in Leicestershire where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Ellandune (now called Wilton.) 1

Early rolls list: Robert Dysci in the Feet of Fines of Huntingdonshire; and Alice Dixi in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273-1279 list the following entries in Cambridgeshire; Laurence Dixi; Sabina Dixi; and Adam Disce. The same rolls also list Hugo Discey and Robert Discy in Huntingdonshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls also list Robert Discy. 3

Early History of the Dicksee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dicksee research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1524, 1585, 1594, 1614, 1625, 1660 and 1798 are included under the topic Early Dicksee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dicksee 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 Dicksee 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 Dicksee include: Dixie, Dicksey, Dicksy, Dixy and others.

Early Notables of the Dicksee family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Wolstan Dixie, (1524-1594), merchant and administrator, Lord Mayor of London in 1585. He was the son of Thomas Dixie and Anne Jephson, who lived at Catworth in Huntingdonshire. His ancestors had been seated at Catworth for several generations, and had considerable estates. Wolstan, however, was the...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dicksee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dicksee family

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 Dicksee or a variant listed above: William Dixey who settled in Barbados in 1693; Joseph Dixey settled in Boston in 1820; Richard Dixey settled in Maryland in 1725.


Contemporary Notables of the name Dicksee (post 1700) +

  • Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853-1928), English painter


The Dicksee 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: Quod Dixi Dixi
Motto Translation: What I have said, I have said.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)


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