The Dickenson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,575 people carried this name — #7,283 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,411 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dickenson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Dicken + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dickenson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Richard Digon, London, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Dickens, Dickenson, Dickins, Dickinson and Dickons.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 240 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dickenson was found among the farmers of 8 counties.

It was most frequent in Northumberland: 63 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 159. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Dickinson and Dickenson.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Northumberland 63
Lancashire 44
Cumberland and Westmorland 39
Yorkshire, West Riding 30
Hertfordshire 25
Gloucestershire 20
Lincolnshire 20
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Dickenson in American newspapers,
1901.

Newspaper page from The Butte Inter Mountain carrying the name Dickenson
The Butte Inter Mountain 1901-12-23
Newspaper page from The Butte Inter Mountain carrying the name Dickenson
The Butte Inter Mountain 1901-12-30
Newspaper page from The Butte Inter Mountain carrying the name Dickenson
The Butte Inter Mountain 1901-12-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 50,969 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dickenson in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

24,330 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dickenson. The most, 3,941, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 7,379
New South Wales 6,392
Tasmania 3,745
Queensland 2,401
Western Australia 2,250
South Australia 2,031
ACT (Canberra) 81
Northern Territory 24

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dickenson.

Who carried it

People named Dickenson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edith Dickenson
    Edith Dickenson 1851–1903 · war correspondent
  • Mary Dickinson
    Mary Dickinson 1853–1921
  • Roger Dickenson d. 1591 · presbyter
  • Edmund Dickenson 1595–1693 · Anglican priest
  • Samuel Dickenson 1733–1823 · botanist
  • John Dickenson 1755–1842

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dickenson,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States613 records

613 records of the Dickenson name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 208
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 172
  • Other U.S. records 233
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James E. Dickenson

    Born 1921 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Sam Houston; tailor. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II and the Korean War; died 1994, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hannah Dickenson

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Majestic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 29; trimmer. From Liverpool, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Llewellyn Paul Dickenson

    Born 1948; from Neopit, Wisconsin. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 613 records for Dickenson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,070 records

1,070 records of the Dickenson name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 513
  • Tasmanian Names Index 355
  • Other Australian records 202
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Richard Dickenson

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Roslyn Castle, sailing from Downs in 1828. Native of Ripley, Surrey. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1837.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Eliza Dickenson

    Arrived in Queensland in 1899 aboard the Ormuz, aged 21.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edward Dickenson

    Accountant of Camberwell, Victoria; died 1898.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,070 records for Dickenson in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom65 records

65 records of the Dickenson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 45
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 19
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Salton Dickenson

    Buried in 1908 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 27.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Dickenson

    Buried in 1814 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 44.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record I. Dickenson

    Lincolnshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 65 records for Dickenson in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada39 records

39 records of the Dickenson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 15
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 7
  • Other Canadian records 17
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Gabriel Dickenson

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Lady's Adventure, bound for St. Johns, aged 22.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Dickenson

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Quebec, bound for Sarnia, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Harvey Dickenson

    Died 1979; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 3 of 39 records for Dickenson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Dickenson name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Reginald Dickenson

    Died 1904, aged 30; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Dickenson

    Died 1920, aged 78; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Dickenson

    Died 1947, aged 94; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Dickenson in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Dickenson name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Marie Dickenson

    Born 1920 in Oisy-le-Verger (Pas-de-Calais); died 1987 in Mons-en-Barœul (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Edouard Henri Dickenson

    Born 1930 in Oisy-le-Verger (Pas-de-Calais); died 1994 in Dechy (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Dickenson name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Ronald McKechnie Dickenson

    Married in 1945 in Apeldoorn; musician.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edmond Dickenson

    Married in 1603 in Naerden; soldier, born in England.

    Open Archives, Archief Delft (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Dickenson.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dickenson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dickenson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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