The Pickens surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,577 people carried this name — #2,195 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,800 people counted. That is up 6% from 15,597 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

29 families named Pickens, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 195 people lived in those households, 6.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

South Carolina 10
Pennsylvania 9
North Carolina 4
New York 3
Maryland 2
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 257 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Pickens in American newspapers,
1888–1912.

Newspaper page from The Maryville Times carrying the name Pickens
The Maryville Times 1897-10-30
Newspaper page from The Manitowoc Pilot carrying the name Pickens
The Manitowoc Pilot 1912-09-26
Newspaper page from The Memphis Appeal carrying the name Pickens
The Memphis Appeal 1888-05-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 157,296 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pickens in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

584 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pickens. The most, 77, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 342
New South Wales 88
Queensland 53
Tasmania 50
South Australia 23
Western Australia 11
ACT (Canberra) 7

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

Who carried it

People named Pickens,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Andrew Pickens
    Andrew Pickens 1779–1838 · military personnel
  • Israel Pickens
    Israel Pickens 1780–1827 · lawyer
  • Francis Wilkinson Pickens
    Francis Wilkinson Pickens 1805–1869 · lawyer
  • Lucy Pickens
    Lucy Pickens 1832–1899 · writer
  • Ruby Pickens Tartt
    Ruby Pickens Tartt 1880–1974 · writer
  • Andrew Pickens 1739–1817 · politician

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 Pickens,
in the records of 5 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 States923 records

923 records of the Pickens name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 528
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 199
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 91
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 44
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 24
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 17
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 11
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 5
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 2
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Johnnie Pickens

    Born 1944; from New York, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1970 in Cambodia. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Emiel Pickens

    Born 1913 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Houston; filling station attendant from Harris County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1973, buried at Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the State of Alabama from Glasgow and Larne, aged 16; servant. From England; bound for Pittsburgh.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 923 records for Pickens in the United States.

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

Australia35 records

35 records of the Pickens name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 19
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 8
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 5
  • Tasmanian Names Index 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Pickens

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Chowringhee, aged 2; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Francis William George Pickens

    Farmer and grazier of Kotta, Victoria; died 1963.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Mary Ann Frances Pickens

    Born 1886 in Gordon, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 35 records for Pickens in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada7 records

7 records of the Pickens name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Robert Pickens

    Died 1955, aged 44; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Pickens

    Married 1873 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert Francis Pickens

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 7 records for Pickens in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · 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. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Pickens name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph James Pickens

    Died 1934, aged 59; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Pickens

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Pickens

    Died 1940, aged 37; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Pickens name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Willem Pickens

    Married in 1653 in Groningen.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Pickens

    Married in 1799 in Putte.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Franciscus Pickens

    Married in 1800 in Putte.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pickens.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pickens 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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