The Dicks surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,228 people carried this name — #7,831 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 69,900 people counted. That is down 7% from 4,544 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dicks surname

A surname transferred from the given name derived from Dick.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dicks» (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

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Richard’.

An early record he cites: Willelmus Dycson, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Dick, Dixon, Dicks and Dix.

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

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 27 people named Dicks.

4 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 1 département, most often Pas-de-Calais.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 4
Pas-de-Calais 23

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dicks was found among the farmers of Somerset: 12 in every 10,000.

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.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 12

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

Dicks in American newspapers,
1880.

Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Dicks
St. Tammany Farmer 1880-02-21
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Dicks
St. Tammany Farmer 1880-03-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 17,809 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dicks in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

2,895 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dicks. The most, 372, date from the 1890s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 842
Victoria 775
Queensland 633
Western Australia 255
South Australia 226
Tasmania 141
ACT (Canberra) 17

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

Who carried it

People named Dicks,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Gladys Roosevelt Dick
    Gladys Roosevelt Dick 1889–1926 · painter
  • John Dicks 1818–1881 · businessperson
  • Julius Dicks 1853–1929 · merchant
  • Henry Dicks 1900–1977 · psychiatrist
  • Harro Dicks 1911–2013 · theatre director
  • Mathias Dicks 1915– · military officer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dicks,
in the records of 8 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 States459 records

459 records of the Dicks name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 143
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 83
  • Other U.S. records 233
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Donald A. Dicks

    Born 1922 in Wisconsin. Enlisted 1946 at Chicago, Illinois; office machine operator from Dane County. U.S. Air Force veteran; died 1979, buried at Roselawn Memorial Park, Madison, Wisconsin.

    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 Sophus Dicks

    Arrived at New York in 1891 aboard the Furnessia from Glasgow and Moville, aged 22; dealer. From Glasgow, Germany; 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 Ronald J. Dicks

    Born 1933; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; died of wounds 1951 in North Korea.

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

Showing 3 of 459 records for Dicks in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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. 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) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Netherlands264 records

264 records of the Dicks name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 134
  • Dutch population registers 96
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 34
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mathias Dicks

    Married in 1879 in Venlo; railway official, born 1848 in Pont. Died 1904 in Venlo, aged 55.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Venlo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hermina Johanna Dicks

    Married in 1887 in Haarlem. Died 1925 in Haarlem, aged 59.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alexander Wilhelm Dicks

    Married in 1907 in Venlo; coachman. Died 1960 in Horst, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 264 records for Dicks in the Netherlands.

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).

Canada109 records

109 records of the Dicks name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 89
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Dicks

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Quebec, bound for Barrie, Ontario; English.

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

    Buried in 1915 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 19.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Dicks

    Died 1929 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 109 records for Dicks in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · 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 Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Australia91 records

91 records of the Dicks name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 43
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 14
  • Other Australian records 34
  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 Belcher Dicks

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Sesostris, arriving 1826; ticket of leave 1840.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Dicks

    Arrived in Victoria in 1885 aboard the Potosi, aged 20; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edmund Dicks

    Civil servant of Preston, Victoria; died 1935.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 91 records for Dicks in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (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).

Germany77 records

77 records of the Dicks name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Dicks

    From Herringhausen, Herford. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 18 September 1915 (Foot Guards Regiment No. 3).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 1 of 77 records for Dicks in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom13 records

13 records of the Dicks name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 8
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Dicks

    Buried in 1829 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 26.

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

    Drummer, London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. R. Dicks

    King S Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). 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 13 records for Dicks 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. 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).

France8 records

8 records of the Dicks 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 Charles Dicks

    Born 1927 in Germany; died 1999 in L'Hôpital (Moselle).

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

    Born 1905 in Saint-Martin-Boulogne; died 1988 in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Kenneth Ronald Dicks

    Born 1912 in Canada; died 1996 in Pleudihen-sur-Rance (Côtes-d'Armor).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Dicks in France.

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).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Dicks 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 Edward Dicks

    Died 1942, aged 56; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dicks.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dicks 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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