The Pickering surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,582 people carried this name — #2,653 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 21,700 people counted. That is up 3% from 13,154 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pickering surname

A habitational surname from Old English, from the English town.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pickering» (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 local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Pickering’.

An early record he cites: Hugh de Pikering, Yorkshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 603 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 40 people named Pickering.

Most of them — 25 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 6 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 25
Bas-Rhin 6
Seine-Maritime 5
Eure 1
Yvelines 1
Essonne 1
Martinique 1

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

Pickering was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Northumberland: 37 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 270. 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

Northumberland 37
Durham 32
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 26
Cheshire 20
Cumberland and Westmorland 20
Leicestershire and Rutland 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 Scotland’s registers today

Pickering was recorded 14 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1484th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 21. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

61 families named Pickering, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 414 people lived in those households, 6.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. 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

New Hampshire 24
Massachusetts 15
Pennsylvania 11
Maryland 4
Virginia 4
Maine 2
South Carolina 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

Pickering in American newspapers,
1800–1824.

Newspaper page from The Kentucky Gazette carrying the name Pickering
The Kentucky Gazette 1800-07-17
Newspaper page from The Recorder, Or, Lady's And Gentleman's Miscellany carrying the name Pickering
The Recorder, Or, Lady's And Gentleman's Miscellany 1802-05-19
Newspaper page from American Watchman And Delaware Advertiser carrying the name Pickering
American Watchman And Delaware Advertiser 1824-09-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,022 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pickering in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

56,937 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pickering. The most, 11,454, date from the 1920s. New South Wales 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 Western Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 14,702
Queensland 12,773
South Australia 12,337
Western Australia 8,886
Victoria 6,639
Tasmania 833
ACT (Canberra) 634
Northern Territory 19

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

Who carried it

People named Pickering,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Gilbert Pickering d. 1301 · politician
  • Sir Henry Pickering, 1st Baronet d. 1668 · politician
  • Roger Pickering d. 1755 · Christian minister
  • Henry Pickering d. 1771 · painter
  • Mary Pickering d. 1742
  • Sarah Pickering d. 1774

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pickering,
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 States1,369 records

1,369 records of the Pickering name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 419
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 263
  • Other U.S. records 687
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Doyle L. Pickering

    Born 1918 in Nebraska. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; lineman from Kearney County. Veteran of World War II; died 1972, buried at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Nebraska.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (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 Ernest R. Pickering

    Born 1922 in New Hampshire. Enlisted 1942 at Manchester; driver from Belknap County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Oakland Cemetery, Laconia, New Hampshire.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Donald William Pickering

    Born 1948; from Hastings, Iowa. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam.

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

Showing 3 of 1,369 records for Pickering 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) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (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, 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); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,296 records

1,296 records of the Pickering name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 640
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 277
  • Other Australian records 379
  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 Margaret Pickering

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Tasmania, sailing from London in 1844. Native of Manchester, Lancashire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Pickering

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1853. Married 1853 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 36.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Sea, aged 29; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,296 records for Pickering 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) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada167 records

167 records of the Pickering name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 85
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 21
  • Other Canadian records 61
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Margaret Pickering

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917; buried at St John's Cemetery, Halifax.

    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 Thos Pickering

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Texas, landing at Quebec, bound for Prince A. Land'g., Ontario; English.

    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 James Howell Pickering

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

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

Showing 3 of 167 records for Pickering 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. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · 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. · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom78 records

78 records of the Pickering name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 66
  • Welsh wills index cards 5
  • Other British records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mabel J. M. Pickering

    Died 1999, aged 81; buried at Kilmadock Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Pickering

    Will proved in 1930; of Llanarmon, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Pickering

    Durham Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 78 records for Pickering in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · 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. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand61 records

61 records of the Pickering name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 40
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 15
  • Other New Zealand records 6
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alice Pickering

    Died 1974, aged 84; buried at Ruru Lawn, 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 Charles Pickering

    Died 1921, aged 62; buried at Havelock Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marion Dickson Pickering

    Born 1907, died 1997; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 61 records for Pickering in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France9 records

9 records of the Pickering 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 Gertrude Monica Pickering

    Born 1911 in the United Kingdom; died 1991 in Lisieux (Calvados).

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

    Born 1946 in the United States; died 1993 in Paris.

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

    Born 1894 in Haguenau; died 1978 in Haguenau (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Pickering 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).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Pickering name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alice Eveline Pickering

    Died 1960 in Zwolle, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Carel Fredrik Pickering

    Died 1849 in Rotterdam, aged 37.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Pickering in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pickering.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pickering 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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