Show ContentsWickens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient and distinguished surname Wickens is of English origin. It is derived from the Old English "wic," which refers to an outlying settlement, particularly a dairy farm or salt works, dependent on a larger village; the surname would denote someone who worked or resided at one of these settlements. The name Wickens may also be derived from a place of the same name; there are villages so named in the counties of Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.

Early Origins of the Wickens family

The surname Wickens was first found in Northampton where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Thomas de le Wikin, who was living in Norfolk in 1275.

Early History of the Wickens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wickens research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wickens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wickens Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wickens, Wickans, Wickins, Wicking, Wiggins and others.

Early Notables of the Wickens family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Borough Wickens...

Migration of the Wickens family to Ireland

Some of the Wickens 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.


Wickens migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wickens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. & Mrs. Wickens, who arrived in New York City in 1833
  • Elizabeth Wickens, who landed in New York in 1838 1
  • Thomas Wickens, who arrived in New York in 1838 1
  • George Wickens, who was naturalized in Michigan in 1855

Wickens migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wickens Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Pheoby Wickens, who was living in Ontario in 1871
  • Martin Wickens, who settled in the Cape Race area of Newfoundland in 1871 2

Wickens migration to Australia +

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

Wickens Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Isaac Wickens, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • Mr. William Wickens, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Thomas Wickens, aged 33, a carpenter, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Buffalo" in 1836 5
  • Mary Wickens, aged 34, who arrived in Kangaroo Island aboard the ship "Buffalo" in 1836 5
  • Mr. Samuel Wickens, British Convict who was convicted in Kent, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wickens 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:

Wickens Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Wickens, aged 27, a baker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Strathnaver" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Wickens (post 1700) +

  • Sir John Wickens (1815-1873), English barrister and jurist, Vice-Chancellor of England in 1871, second son of James Stephen Wickens of Chandos Street, Cavendish Square 7
  • Paul "Wix" Wickens (b. 1956), English keyboardist and composer who has worked with Paul McCartney, Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi and many others
  • Dr. Christopher D Wickens, American researcher at the Beckman Institute of the University of Illinois
  • George Michael Wickens (1918-2006), English-born, Canadian Persianist, Arabist, translator and a University lecturer
  • Barry Wickens, British musician, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Croydon, Surrey
  • Robert Tyler Wickens (b. 1989), Canadian racing driver
  • Charles Wickens (1776-1847), English-born, Canadian farmer, miller and politician who represented Simcoe in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada (1836-1841)
  • Brett Wickens (b. 1961), British-Canadian creative director, partner in the Ammunition Design Group
  • Reagan Wickens (b. 1994), Australian swimmer at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
  • Jodie Wickens, Canadian politician, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain, British Columbia (2016-)
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. 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)
  2. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HMS BUFFALO 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Buffalo.htm
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
  7. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 Jan. 2019


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