Surname Wicking - Meaning and Origin
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Wicking: What does the surname Wicking mean?
The last name Wicking is believed to be of English origin. There are a few different theories on the meaning behind the last name, but the most common hypothesis is that it is derived from the Old English word "wic" which means “dairy farm” or “associated with dairy farming”.
In this sense, the name implies that those who bear it may have ancestral ties to people who worked on dairy farms, or even owned them. This could also mean that those people had a strong connection to, or lived in close proximity to, land used for dairy farming.
Other theories around the origin of the name suggest that it could have come from a place name derived from "wic", such as Wickham, a village in Hampshire, England, or similar names such as Wisbech, Wiltshire, and Withernsea.
The name has also been noted in areas of Germany, so could have come over with Anglo-Saxon settlers in the 10th century. The German meaning of the surname could be a shortening of “Fricking”, meaning belonging to Frederick.
Regardless of its original meaning, the surname Wicking is a reminder of the importance of the dairy industry in English and European history. The fact that many Wicking families can trace their ancestry back centuries suggests that there is a vast amount of history attached to the name, and bearing it carries with it a sense of connection to ancestors from a long-gone era.
Order DNA origin analysisWicking: Where does the name Wicking come from?
The last name Wicking is most common in Germany and Austria, with the name having its origins in these countries. It is far less common in other areas of the world.
In Germany, there are more than 3,000 individuals with the last name Wicking. Most of these are concentrated in the areas of Lower Saxony, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Schleswig-Holstein. In Austria, the Wicking family is most prominent in Vorarlberg.
The name is also present in some parts of the Netherlands and the United States, although these populations are relatively small. In the US in particular, the Wicking family is largely concentrated in Wisconsin and California.
Additionally, there are Wicking family members in France, Canada, England, and Sweden, although these populations are much smaller in size than those in Germany and Austria.
The meaning of the last name Wicking is not universal and is largely derived from the its ancestral countries. For Germany and Austria, the name is believed to be derived from a Middle High German word tarnkike, which refers to a land surveyor. In other countries, however, the name likely has different meanings.
Variations of the surname Wicking
The surname Wicking is a topographical name that originally referred to someone who lived near a bend in a river or stream, from the Old English 'wic' meaning 'bend' alongside the suffix 'ing' indicating a particular place. Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Wickening, Wickin, Wickings, Wicken, Wickens, Wykin, Wykings and Wykens.
Wicking is derived from the Old English 'wic' and is found mainly in England, especially in the South West of the country. Wykin and Wykens is the earliest recorded form of the name and is common in the East Midlands. Wickening and Wickens are recorded mainly in South Yorkshire, while Wickin is mainly found in Somerset, and Wickings in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.
The surname Wicking is related to the names Wicke, Wyke and Wickham. Wicke itself comes from the Old English 'wic', meaning 'bend', 'marsh', or 'presence', while Wyke and Wickham derive from the Old English word 'wic-hem', meaning 'dweller by the bend'.
The Wicking family name was first found in Hampshire where they were Lords of the manor of Wiggington, a name derived from the Old English 'wic', meaning bend, or a dweller at a bend. They were seated at Wiggington from early times and their coats of arms is recorded in the Camden Rolls.
Famous people with the name Wicking
- Gary Wicking: a former Australian rules football player for the Fitzroy Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League.
- Jim Wicking: a Canadian broadcaster and politician who served as an MPP in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 to 1987.
- Jack Wicking: an English swimmer who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.
- Merran Wicking: an Australian cricketer who played for South Australia in the Women’s National Cricket League.
- Thomas Wicking: a miner and convict who was transported to Tasmania in the early 1800s.
- Wade Wicking: a Canadian country musician from the 1990s.
- Melvin Wicking: a professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League.
- Shane Wicking: an Australian professional basketball player who played for the Adelaide 36ers.
- Gordon Wicking: an English footballer who played for Manchester United and Huddersfield Town.
- Sam Wicking: an engineer and entrepreneur who founded digital marketing agency Optimizely.
- Bruce Wicking: an Australian infantry soldier who served during the Vietnam War.
- Charlie Wicking: an English cricketer who played for Warwickshire.
- Faye Wicking: a Canadian author, visual artist, and playwright.
- Adrian Wicking: a British medical doctor known for his pioneering work in the field of pulmonary tuberculosis.