Contents [hide]

Hick History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Hick History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Hick

What does the name Hick mean?

The name Hick has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the son of Richard. 1 In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Hick family

The surname Hick was first found in Yorkshire, where one of the first records of the name was found as a forename as Hikke de Sauteby who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 1 "The chancel [of Low Leyton in Essex] contains some elegant monuments of the family of Hickes." 2

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on the phonetic appreciation of the names. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Hikke de Sauteby; Johanna Hickson; Henricas Hikson; Willelmus Hykson. 1

Again in Yorkshire, Richard Hick was registered there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1302 and later, William Hickys was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332. 3

Much farther to the south in the parish of St. Ewe in Cornwall, another branch of the family was found. "The manor of Tregain belonged formerly to an ancient family of the same name: in which place they resided until they removed to Golden in Probus; after which it was forfeited in the reign of Elizabeth. When the manor was dismembered, the barton became the property of Hicks, who possessed also the barton of Trevithick in this parish. At this latter place a mansion was erected by this family, in which they continued to reside until the death of John Hicks, Esquire, in 1734, in whom this branch of the family ended." 4

Early History of the Hick family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hick research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1543, 1551, 1596, 1612, 1619, 1620, 1621, 1628, 1629, 1642, 1680, 1715 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Hick History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hick Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Hick include Hicks, Hickes, Hick, Hix and others.

Early Notables of the Hick family

Notables of the family at this time include

Baptist Hicks, 1st Viscount Campden (1551-1629), an English textile merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1628
Michael Hicks (1543-1612), an English courtier and politician, Secretary to Lord Burghley
Sir William Hicks, 1st Baronet (1596-1680), of Beverston, in Gloucestershire, and of Ruckholt, in Essex, an English Member of Parliament
George Hickes (1642-1715), an English divine and scholar

Hick Ranking

In the United States, the name Hick is the 16,501^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Hick family to Ireland

Some of the Hick family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hick migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Hick Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christoffel Hick, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 6
Bartol Hick, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 6
Mathew Hick, who settled in Virginia in 1774

Hick Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Hick, aged 50, who landed in New York in 1812 6
Mr. Philip Hick, (b. 1825), aged 26, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Mountaineer" arriving in the United States on 30 April 1851 7
Franz Hick, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 6

Hick Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Barnett Hick, (b. 1860), aged 45, Cornish engineer from Falmouth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Baltic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Chicago, Illinois, USA 8

Hick migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hick Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

George Hick, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Robert Hick, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. John Hick U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 9

Hick migration to Australia +

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

Hick Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Hick who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "England"on 31st March 1832, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Lavinia Hick, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"
Mr. Francis Hick, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 6 years, transported aboard the "Clara" on 28th January 1864, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 11
Mr. William Hick, (b. 1844), aged 22, Cornish farm labourer, from Tywardreath, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Racehorse" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 22nd September 1866 12

Hick 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:

Hick Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Hick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 13
Mrs. Elizabeth Hick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 13
Miss Ann Hick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 13
Miss Elizabeth Hick, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th February 1856 13
Mr. John Hick, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hick (post 1700) +

John Harwood Hick (1922-2012), English-born philosopher of religion and theologian in America
John Hick JP DL MP FRSA (1815-1894), English industrialist, art collector and politician, best known for his improvement of steam-engines for cotton mills, eldest son of Benjamin Hick
Benjamin Hick (1790-1842), English civil and mechanical engineer and art collector, best known for his improvements to the steam engine
Jochen Hick (b. 1960), German film director and producer
Bruce Hick (b. 1963), Australian three-time gold, two-time silver and three-time bronze medalist rower
Andrew Hick (b. 1971), Australian former rugby league player
William Edmund Hick (1912-1974), British psychologist, a pioneer in the sciences of experimental psychology
Edwin Pentland Hick (b. 1919), British entrepreneur, author, publisher, best known for founding the Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo in North Yorkshire
Graeme Ashley Hick MBE (b. 1966), Zimbabwean-born cricketer who played 65 Test matches and 120 One Day Internationals for England

The Hick 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: Tout en bon heure
Motto Translation: All in good time.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 26th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clara
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html