Hickson
An Old English surname denoting "son of Hick" or "son of Richard".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Hickson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hickson today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hickson births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hickson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hickson. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,787
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Hickson: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hickson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hickson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hickson
Hickson is an English given name with origins that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English words "hic" meaning "hay" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement," suggesting that it may have originated as a surname for someone who lived near a hayfield or worked with hay.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hickson dates back to the 13th century in England, where it was documented as a surname. Over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name as well. During the medieval period, it was not uncommon for surnames to evolve into given names, particularly among the lower classes and in rural areas.
While the name Hickson does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is worth noting that variations of the name were prevalent in certain regions of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where hay farming was a significant agricultural activity.
One of the earliest known individuals with the given name Hickson was Thomas Hickson, an English writer and poet who lived in the late 16th century. Although details about his life are scarce, his works are preserved in various anthologies and collections of poetry from that era.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Hickson (1714-1785), an English Quaker minister and writer. He authored several religious tracts and pamphlets, advocating for social justice and nonviolence.
In the 19th century, Joseph Hickson (1830-1897) was a prominent Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He made significant contributions to the development of railway infrastructure in Canada and was actively involved in charitable endeavors.
Moving into the 20th century, Alfred Hickson (1901-1985) was a British artist and sculptor, known for his abstract and modernist works. His pieces are featured in several renowned art galleries and museums across the United Kingdom.
More recently, Sydney Hickson (1938-2022) was a respected Australian academic and historian. She authored numerous books and articles on Australian history, particularly focused on the colonial era and indigenous cultures.
While not an exhaustive list, these individuals represent a diverse range of professions and time periods, demonstrating the enduring presence of the given name Hickson throughout history.
People
Hickson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hickson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hickson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hickson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hickson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Hickson a common name?
We classify Hickson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hickson most popular?
The single biggest year for Hickson was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hickson is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hickson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hickson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hickson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hickson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hickson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hickson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Hickson?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Hickson at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.