Dickinson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Dick,” with Dick as a medieval short form of Richard.
The #1,324 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,604 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dickinson is an English patronymic built from Dickin + son. Dickin is a diminutive of Dick, which itself is a medieval pet form of Richard. In origin, then, the name meant “son of Dick” or more loosely “son of Richard.”
History
The surname is well established in England and appears in several related forms, including Dickenson and Dickerson. Nineteenth-century surname writers treated it as one of a large family of names built from the nickname Dick, alongside Dickson, Dixon, Dix, and Dickens. It is especially associated with northern and midland English usage, though it spread widely across Britain and later to North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same nickname family that produced Dickinson also produced Dixon and Dickens, all ultimately tied to Richard.
From the historical record
“Workington, and other towns. — Dickinson, Cumbd. Gloss. (1878). Wentworth”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)