Ricketts History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ricketts

What does the name Ricketts mean?

The prominent surname Ricketts was first found in England in the 16th century but traced its early origin to the country of France. Ricketts was originally associated with the Huguenots, many of whom left France in the 16th and 17th centuries, in order to escape religious persecution. England, which was a Protestant country, was thought to be more accepting of religious differences.

Early Origins of the Ricketts family

The surname Ricketts was first found in Kent where this Huguenot family, originally Ricquart or Ricard, migrated to the west and settled at Combe in the county of Hereford.

We would be remiss is we did not pass along this quote: "About 1620, one Ricketts of NewBerry, a practitioner in physick, was excellent at curing of children with swoln heads and small legges; and the disease being new, and without a name, he being so famous for the cure of it, they called the disease the ricketts; as the King's evill from the King's curing of it with his touch; and now 'tis good sport to see how they vex their lexicons, and fetch it from the Greek Paxc, the back-bone." 1

The source goes on to note that the disease was give name by Dr. Glisson on the first appearance of the disease. Dr. Glisson was a contemporary of and probably knew Mr. Ricketts.

"During the 17th and 18th centuries a family of the name of Ricketts resided in North Leach [Gloucestershire]." 2

Early History of the Ricketts family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ricketts research. Another 220 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1478, 1606, 1628, 1641, 1655, 1659, 1665, 1694, 1700, 1718 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Ricketts History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ricketts Spelling Variations

Huguenot surnames were only slightly Anglicized, and they remain to this day a distinct group of surnames in England. Nevertheless, Huguenot surnames have been subject to numerous spelling alterations since the names emerged in France. French surnames have a variety of spelling variations because the French language has changed drastically over the centuries. French was developed from the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire. It is divided into three historic and linguistic periods: Old French, which developed before the 14th century; Middle French, which was used between the 14th and 16th centuries; and Modern French, which was used after the 16th century and continues to be in use today. In all of these periods, the French language was heavily influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when the barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. Huguenot names have numerous variations. The name may be spelled Ricket, Rickett, Reckitt, Ricketts, Reckitts and others.

Early Notables of the Ricketts family

Notable in the family at this time was Robert Ricart (fl. 1478), English town clerk of Bristol, lay brother of the fraternity of the Kalendars, an ancient guild attached to the church of All Saints, Bristol. 3Sir Paul Ricaut or Rycaut (1628-1700), was an English traveller and author, was born at The Friary, his father's seat at Aylesford in Kent. His...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ricketts Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ricketts Ranking

In the United States, the name Ricketts is the 2,658^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Ricketts is ranked the 419^th most popular surname with an estimated 112 people with that name. 5

Ricketts migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Ricketts or a variant listed above:

Ricketts Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miles Ricketts, who landed in Maryland in 1640 6
Edward Ricketts, who landed in Virginia in 1642 6
William Ricketts, who landed in Virginia in 1650 6
John, Philip, Alice and Grace Ricketts, who settled in Virginia in 1660
Benjamin, Joane, Richard, and William Ricketts, who settled in Virginia in 1670
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ricketts Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George A Ricketts, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1812 6
Jacob and Ann Ricketts, who arrived in New York in 1820
James Ricketts, who settled in Big Island in 1864

Ricketts Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John Ricketts, who arrived in Alabama in 1924 6

Ricketts migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ricketts Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Ricketts in King's Cove, Newfoundland in 1820 7
Robert Ricketts of Dorset, England, was married in Trinity, Newfoundland in 1825

Ricketts migration to Australia +

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

Ricketts Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Elizabeth Ricketts, (b. 1800), aged 23 who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 20th November 1823, arriving in New South Wales, Australia and Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), she died in 1884 8
Miss Ann Ricketts, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Robert Ricketts who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 4th August 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
David Charles Ricketts, who arrived in Port Phillip (Melbourne) in November 1839
John Ricketts, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ricketts 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:

Ricketts Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Ricketts, (b. 1817), aged 42, English settler from Worcester travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 12
Mr. Thomas Ricketts, (b. 1818), aged 41, English weaver from Worcester travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 12
Miss Sarah E Ricketts, (b. 1842), aged 17, English miliner from Worcester travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 12
William C. Ricketts, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1870
Elizabeth Ricketts, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jubilee" in 1873
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Ricketts migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13

Ricketts Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

James and George Ricketts, who settled in Barbados in 1663

Contemporary Notables of the name Ricketts (post 1700) +

J. Joseph Ricketts, American billionaire, former CEO and former chairman of TD Ameritrade
L. D. Ricketts (1859-1940), American geologist, mining engineer and banker, namesake of Caltech's Ricketts House
Milton Ernest Ricketts (1913-1942), United States Navy Lieutenant and Medal of Honor recipient, eponym of the USS Ricketts (DE-254)
Admiral Claude V. Ricketts (1906-1964), United States naval admiral, eponym of the USS Claude V. Ricketts (DDG-5)
John Peter "Pete" Ricketts (b. 1964), American businessman, former Chief Operating Officer of Ameritrade
Dr. Matthew Ricketts (1858-1917), first African American to be elected to the Nebraska legislature, 1892
James B. Ricketts (1817-1887), American Civil War general
Howard Taylor Ricketts (1871-1910), American pathologist
Edward "Ed" Flanders Robb Ricketts (1897-1948), American marine biologist, ecologist, and philosopher
Arthur Samuel Ricketts, American Librarian, Louisville, Kentucky
... (Another 14 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Ricketts family +

Halifax Explosion

Master Thomas Ricketts (1908-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 14

The Ricketts 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: Quid verum atque decens
Motto Translation: What is true and honorable.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. 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/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FAIRLIE/FAIRLEE 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Fairlie.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance