Show ContentsDucker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Ducker is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a trapper of small game; it literally means "cut the hare's tail," from the Old English words dokc, which meant "cut off," and hare, a word that has not changed meaning.

Early Origins of the Ducker family

The surname Ducker was first found in Cumberland where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Ducker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ducker research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ducker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ducker Spelling Variations

Ducker has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Ducker have been found, including Docker, Dockwra, Dockray, Dockwray, Dockrell and many more.

Early Notables of the Ducker family

More information is included under the topic Early Ducker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ducker Ranking

In the United States, the name Ducker is the 15,857th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Ducker family to Ireland

Some of the Ducker 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.


United States Ducker migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Duckers to arrive on North American shores:

Ducker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joh Baltzer Ducker, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 2
  • Johann Conrad Ducker, who arrived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1755 2
  • Georg Ducker, who arrived in Georgia between the years 1733-1783
Ducker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Carl S. Ducker, who arrived at the port of Baltimore in 1832
  • M Cath Ducker, who arrived in America in 1842 2
  • Frederick Ducker, aged 33, who arrived in Missouri in 1848 2
  • Daniel S Ducker, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
  • Claus Ducker, who was on record in Wisconsin in 1856
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Ducker 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:

Ducker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Frederick Ducker, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 3
  • Catherine Ducker, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 3
  • William Ducker, aged 41, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 3
  • Sophie Ducker, aged 28, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Anne Longton" in 1860 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Ducker (post 1700) +

  • Bruce Ducker (b. 1938), American novelist, short story writer, and poet
  • Henry L. Ducker (1893-1978), American Democratic Party politician, Judge of West Virginia supreme court of appeals, 1957-58 4
  • Edward Augustus Ducker (b. 1870), American Democratic Party politician, District Judge in Nevada 6th District, 1911-18; Justice of Nevada State Supreme Court, 1918-31; Chief Justice of Nevada State Supreme Court, 1929-31 4
  • Eugen Dücker, or Eugène Gustav Dücker, a romanticist German-Estonian painter
  • John Patrick Ducker (1932-2005), Australian labour leader and politician, played a leading role in the Australian labour movement and the Australian Labor Party for 20 years


The Ducker 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: Semper eadem
Motto Translation: Always the same.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook