Find out how popular the last name Hickson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hickson.

Hickson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hickson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hickson in America

Hickson is the 6111th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hickson surname appeared 5,610 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hickson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hickson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hickson

The surname Hickson is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English personal name "Hicca," which itself comes from the word "hicce," meaning a small farm or hamlet. The addition of the suffix "-son" indicates that the name was initially used to denote the son of someone named Hicca.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hickson can be found in historical records from various parts of northern England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is likely that the name was initially concentrated in these regions due to the prevalence of small agricultural settlements and the common practice of adopting surnames based on occupations or geographical features.

One notable early reference to the name Hickson can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332, where a Robert Hykson is listed as a taxpayer in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Additionally, the Holderness Survey of 1592 records a John Hickson as a landowner in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the name have emerged, including Hixon, Hicksone, and Hicson. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent nature of historical record-keeping.

Among the notable individuals who have borne the surname Hickson throughout history are:

1. William Hickson (1803-1870), an English social reformer and pioneer of the cooperative movement.
2. Sydney Hickson (1859-1940), a British zoologist and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Natural History at the University of Aberdeen.
3. Mary Hickson (1891-1984), a British architect and one of the first women to be admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects.
4. Joseph Hickson (1830-1897), a Canadian businessman and railway executive who served as the president of the Grand Trunk Railway.
5. Thomas Hickson (1808-1889), an English industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Hickson and Farmer chemical company in Lancashire.

The surname Hickson has a rich historical lineage, with its origins rooted in the agricultural settlements of medieval England. While the name may have evolved in spelling and spread across various regions, it continues to carry the legacy of its humble beginnings as a patronymic surname denoting the son of Hicca.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hickson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hickson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hickson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hickson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hickson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hickson, please contact us.

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