Surname Wickering - Meaning and Origin
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Wickering: What does the surname Wickering mean?
The last name Wickering is of English origin and is derived from the term "wick," which refers to a fishing village. It is possible that the Wickering family originated from one of the surrounding fishing villages of northern England, perhaps located near a tributary of the River Humber.
The name Wickering could be a topographical surname for someone living by a meadow, and variations of the name with a suffix of -er or -ing might also indicate its locational origins. The suffix “ing” was used to denote those that lived near a certain feature, such as a body of water, a hill, or a meadow.
The Wickering family line might have started several centuries ago, when the name first appeared in England's archives. At that time, the family probably made their living by fishing, farming, or generating income through cottage industries, such as tanning, weaving, or tobacco cottage.
By the 1800s, many Wickering families had moved away from the fishing villages in pursuit of better employment opportunities. The Wickering name might have then spread to other parts of England and even into the colonies, with descendants of the original Wickering clan.
Today, a Wickering family can be found throughout the UK, Europe, America and Canada, with many of its members still proudly bearing the name. The Wickering surname embodies their ancestors’ strong integrity, tenacity, and traditional values.
Order DNA origin analysisWickering: Where does the name Wickering come from?
The last name Wickering is most commonly found in the United Kingdom. It is most concentrated in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, although there are smaller numbers found in other parts of England and Wales. In Lancashire, the majority of Wickering families have lived in the cities of Lancaster, Burnley, Bolton, and Preston.
The surname is thought to have originated in Lancashire, with the first recorded spelling of the name dating back to 1290 in Lancashire. It is believed to be a locative surname, derived from a place named Withington. This could refer to several locations, including Widdrington in Northumberland and three towns named Withington in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Wiltshire.
Wickering is a relatively rare surname compared to some of the more popular British surnames. The last UK census of 2011 recorded only 95 people with the surname Wickering in the whole of the United Kingdom. Of these, 75 were born in the United Kingdom and 20 in other countries.
Today, it is still a Lancashire surname in the main. There are a few families with the name living elsewhere in Britain, Australia, and the United States of America.
Variations of the surname Wickering
The surname Wickering is amongst the oldest recorded surnames in the English language and has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Variants of Wickering include Wickenring, Wyckering and Wyckene. These variants are mainly found in the coastal counties of Essex and Suffolk.
Wickestone is a variant stemming from the Old English 'wic', meaning a dairy farm or port. It is mainly recorded in the counties of Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
Wickham and Wickman are two more variants which trace their origin to the Middle English 'wic' and mean a dairy farm or town. These are recorded in the East Angles, especially Norfolk.
Spellings of Wickering have included Weekering, Wycering, Wydcring and Wikering. These variations have been found in various English counties, including Sussex, East Anglia and Northamptonshire.
One of the most common surnames of the same origin is Wickens. It is derived from the Old English word 'wic' and refers to someone who lives near a trading centre or dairy farm. Wickens is recorded across many English counties, particularly Suffolk and Norfolk.
Other surnames of the same origin are Pickering, Puckering, Whicker, Whickers, Whickens, Whittingham, Whittington, Whittaker, Whittock, Witton and Wharton. These are mainly found in North East England, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
In summary, Wickering is an ancient British surname which has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Amongst the most common variations are Wickenring, Wickestone, Wickham, Wickman, Weekering, Pickering, Puckering and Whicker. These can be found in counties across England, particularly East Anglia and Yorkshire.
Famous people with the name Wickering
- Ray Wickering: a pioneer of educational television in the United Kingdom who worked in the BBC in the 1940s.
- Megan Wickering: an Australian professional triathlete.
- David Wickering: a British actor who has appeared in numerous television series including The Bill and Casualty.
- Derek Wickering: a British former professional footballer who played in over 200 matches for Gillingham F.C.
- Maureen Wickering: a Canadian curler and winner of multiple provincial championships.
- William Wickering: an English professional runner who set a new British record for the 800-meter at the 1930 British Empire Games.
- Jim Wickering: an English singer-songwriter, best known for the song "High School for Lovers".
- Richard Wickering: an English footballer who played for Crystal Palace F.C. from 1976 to 1982.
- Angus Wickering: a Scottish rugby union player who represented Scotland from 1892-1895.
- Emily Wickering: an American figure skater, who won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.