Schick
A German surname that likely began as a nickname for someone neat, brisk, or well-ordered.
The #5,801 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,742 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally linked to German Schick, a word meaning something like “style,” “fit,” or “order,” and to related older forms that meant to arrange or set in order. Some 19th-century scholars also connected it with Old Norse skikka, “to arrange” or “put in order,” which fits the same basic idea. In short, the name most likely started as a descriptive nickname for a person seen as neat, capable, or well put together.
History
The historical notes place Schick in German-speaking areas and alongside several related forms such as Schickl, Schickert, and Schickedanz. It appears in older surname lists as part of a wider family of names built from words meaning order, arrangement, or sharpness of appearance. The name also traveled into Jewish and Central European surname usage, which helps explain its relatively wide modern distribution.
Origin
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Fun fact
A 19th-century surname scholar grouped Schick with several names ultimately tied to the idea of “ordering” or “arranging,” showing how often everyday German words became surnames.
From the historical record
“Schickle. JV. Skekill ; G. Schichel, Schick, Schickler; p.n. Schofield. Fl. Schoenfeld ; a p.n. Scholes. See Skelt Schoobert. G. Schubart; a p.n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)