Contents [hide]

Wicker History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Wicker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Wicker family name to the British Isles. They lived in Sussex. The name, however, derives from the Old English word wic, which describes someone who lives at an outlying settlement.

Early Origins of the Wicker family

The surname Wicker was first found in Surrey at Wyke, a tything, in the parish of Worplesdon, union of Guildford, First division of the hundred of Woking. "This place is mentioned in Domesday Book under the name of Wucha, and at an early period was held by a family called De Wyke." 1

Another branch of the family was found at Yatton in Somerset. "The greater portion of [the church of Yatton] appears to have been rebuilt in the 15th century, by the Wyck family, to one of whom is a monument bearing his effigy, in the north transept." 1

Thomas de Wykes (fl. 1258-1293), the English chronicler, took the habit of a canon regular at Osney Abbey, near Oxford, on 14 April 1282. "He mentions in his chronicle various namesakes and probable kinsfolk, including Robert de Wykes (d. 1246), Edith de Wyke (d. 1269), and John de Wykes, who in 1283 took a 'votum profectionis'. The name is a fairly common one, both as a personal and a place name, so that it is highly unsafe to identify him with other bearers of the same name, such as Thomas de Wyke, priest, who before 1249 wished to become a Franciscan friar." 2

Early History of the Wicker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wicker research. Another 158 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1086, 1222, 1293, 1430, 1554, 1593, 1621, 1627, 1628, 1632, 1641, 1643, 1683, 1684, 1699, 1703 and 1707 are included under the topic Early Wicker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wicker Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Weekes, Weeks, Wikes, Wykes, Wyke, Wix, Wicks, Weykes and many more.

Early Notables of the Wicker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Wykes (1222-c.1293), English chronicler, a canon regular of Oseney Abbey, near Oxford; Thomas Wykes (died c.1430), Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire; Thomas Wykes (fl. 1554), of Moreton Jeffries, Herefordshire, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Leominster in November 1554; Richard Wyche (or Wiche) (1554-1621), a...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wicker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wicker Ranking

In the United States, the name Wicker is the 2,928^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Wicker is ranked the 8,606^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 4

Wicker migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wicker or a variant listed above:

Wicker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Margaret Wicker, who landed in Maryland in 1659 5

Wicker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Wicker, who landed in Virginia in 1713 5
Benjamin Wicker, who landed in Virginia in 1724 5
Philip Wicker, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 5

Wicker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jakob Wicker, aged 20, who landed in North America in 1867 5
Bernhard Wicker, who arrived in America in 1869 5
John Frederick Wicker, who arrived in America in 1872 5

Wicker migration to Australia +

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

Wicker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Wicker, (b. 1784), aged 19, British Convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Mr. William Wicker, British Convict who was convicted in Devon, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Miss Celia Wicker, (b. 1828), aged 20, English nurse girl who was convicted in Newport, Isle of Wight for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 11th February 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
Miss Elizabeth Wicker, (b. 1830), aged 18, English needle woman who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1849 aboard the ship 8
Josh. Wicker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Posthumous" in 1849 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Wicker (post 1700) +

Robert Kitridge Wicker (1878-1955), American professional baseball player
Veronica DiCarlo Wicker (1930-1994), American jurist, Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (1979–1994)
Louis John Wicker (b. 1959), American atmospheric scientist
Thomas Grey "Tom" Wicker (1926-2011), American journalist, political reporter and columnist for The New York Times
Roger Frederick Wicker (b. 1951), American politician, United States Senator from Mississippi (2007-)
Jane Wicker (d. 2013), American wing walker killed at the Vectren Dayton Air Show
Cassius Milton Wicker (1846-1913), American railroad manager and banker
Dennis A. Wicker (b. 1952), American lawyer and politician
Ireene Wicker (1905-1987), American singer and actress
Floyd Euliss Wicker (b. 1943), retired American professional baseball outfielder
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Wicker 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: Cari Deo nihilo carent
Motto Translation: Those dear to God want nothing.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The POSTHUMOUS 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Posthumous.htm