Show ContentsDuckwort History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Duckwort

What does the name Duckwort mean?

The name Duckwort first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the settlement of Duckworth in the county of Lancashire. 1 The surname Duckwort belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Duckwort family

The surname Duckwort was first found in Cambridgeshire where one of the earliest records is of Hugo de Duckworth in 1216 who was listed in the Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus (p. 587) and his descendant Sire John Duckworth was summoned to a great council of Westminster in 1324. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Henricus de Dukeworth and Johannes Dukeworth as holding lands there at that time. 1

Early History of the Duckwort family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duckwort research. Another 191 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1310, 1379, 1647, 1648 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Duckwort History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duckwort 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 Duckwort has appeared include Duckworth, Dykeward, Duckword, Duckward, Duckwort, Duckwart, Dickworth, Dickward, Dickword and many more.

Early Notables of the Duckwort family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Richard Duckworth (fl. 1695), English campanologist, a native of Leicestershire, probably identical with the Richard Duckworth mentioned, under date 4 May 1648, in the ‘Register of Visitors of Oxford...

Migration of the Duckwort family

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 Duckwort arrived in North America very early: J. Duckworth who settled in New Orleans in 1823; J. Duckworth settled in New York in 1823; H. Duckworth settled in San Francisco Cal. in 1852.



  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. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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