Dickson (surname)
Dickson or, as is common in England, Dixon, is a patronymic surname, traditionally Scottish and thought to have originated upon the birth of the son of Richard Keith, son of Hervey de Keith, Earl Marischal of Scotland, and Margaret, daughter of the 3rd Lord of Douglas.
History
"Nisbet in his Heraldry says 'The Dicksons are descendants from Richard Keith, said to be a son of the family of Keith, Earls Marischals of Scotland' and in proof thereof carry the chief of Keith Marischal. This Richard was commonly called Dick and the 'son' was styled after him. The affix of son in the Lowlands answering the prefix Mac in the Highlands." As a result, Clan Dickson is considered a sept of Clan Keith. Richard Keith's son, Thomas, took the surname "Dickson", meaning "Dick's son" or "Richard's son".Although long recognised as a Sept of Clan Keith through Thomas Dickson's paternal line, in July 2012 the Clan Douglas Society of North America also recognised the Dickson/Dixon name as a Sept and Allied Family to Clan Douglas.. This recognition resulted from the direct connection through Thomas Dickson's mother, Margaret, daughter of William, the 3rd Lord Douglas and also Thomas' faithfulness to the Douglas Clan, notably to his second cousin William, 7th Lord Douglas and William's son the good Sir James, 8th Lord Douglas.
Thomas Dickson himself has quite a history. He was associated in some way with William Wallace, and was killed by the English in 1307 in battle. Tradition states he was slashed across the abdomen but continued fight holding the abdominal wound closed with one hand until he finally dropped dead. He is buried in the churchyard of St Brides, Douglas, and his marker shows him with a sword in one hand holding his belly with the other. Robert the Bruce made him Castellan of Castle Douglas the year before he was killed.
The Dicksons/Dixons family name was first found in Scotland whilst the Dixons in England who are of Scottish descent from Thomas Dickson living in 1268 are of the same origin as the Scottish Dicksons. Early records show Thomas Dicson, a follower of the Douglas clan, at the re-capture of Douglas Castle in 1307.
The Dickson's coat of arms show the Keith "pallets gules" and the Douglas "mullets argent", this is to show their descent from these two ancient Scottish noble families. The family mottoes include "Fortes fortuna juvat", "Coelum versus", for Dickson: translated as "Fortune favours the brave", Heavenward"; whilst "Quod dixi dixi" Dixon, is translated as "What I have said I have said".
Notable Dicksons
Performers and entertainers
- Adrian Dickson, British broadcaster
- Barbara Dickson, British actress and singer
- Brenda Dickson, American actress
- Dorothy Dickson, American actress
- Fiona Dickson, British dancer
- Gloria Dickson, American actress
- Ian Dickson, Australian music business figure and TV personality
- Nicolle Dickson, Australian actress
- Peter Dickson, British radio personality
- Tricia Dickson, American voice actor
- Rob Dickson, Canadian songwriter
Politicians
- John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington, British politician
- Alexander George Dickson, British politician
- Anne Dickson, Northern Ireland politician
- Charles Dickson, Lord Dickson, Scottish judge and politician
- Fred Dickson, Canadian Senator, Government of Canada
- Frank S. Dickson, American politician
- Gary Dickson, Canadian politician
- Jeremiah Dickson, Governor of Nova Scotia
- Joe Dickson, Canadian politician
- Joseph Dickson, American politician
- Julie Dickson, Canadian public servant
- Margaret H. Dickson, American politician
- Samuel Dickson , American politician
- Temple Dickson, American lawyer and politician
- Walter Hamilton Dickson, Canadian politician
Sportspeople
- Bob Dickson, American golfer
- Brandon Dickson, American professional baseball player
- Byron W. Dickson, American athlete and coach
- Charlie Dickson, Scottish footballer
- Des Dickson , Australian rules footballer
- Des Dickson, Northern Irish footballer and manager
- Ellie-Mae Dickson,Northern Irish footballer
- Herbert Dickson, Scottish footballer
- Hugh Dickson, Scottish footballer
- Itimi Dickson, Nigerian-Singaporean football player
- Jason Dickson, Canadian baseball player
- Ken Dickson, Scottish and British wheelchair curler
- Lee Dickson, British rugby player
- Lance Dickson, American baseball player
- Michael Dickson , American football player
- Murry Dickson, American baseball player
- Paul Dickson , American football player
- Peter Dickson who played for Scottish clubs Albion Rovers and Queen of the South
- Rick Dickson, American athletics director
- Rob Dickson, Australian rules footballer and film director
- Bruce Dickson, Canadian Hockey player, Gold medal Olympian
- Ryan Dickson, English footballer
- Tom Dickson, American figure skater
- Tommy Dickson, Northern Ireland footballer
- Xzavier Dickson, American football player
Writers
- Alexander Dicsone, Scottish writer and agent
- Carter Dickson, pen name of John Dickson Carr, American mystery writer
- Clarissa Dickson Wright, British food writer
- Ellsworth E. Dickson, Canadian mining writer
- Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian science fiction writer
- Lieutenant Colonel H. R. P. Dickson, British political agent in the Middle East, and author of several books on Kuwait
- Paul Dickson, American writer
- Samuel Henry Dickson, American poet, physician, writer and educator
- Dame Violet Dickson, British author and botanist
Others
- Major General Sir Alexander Dickson, British Army officer
- Alexander Dickson, Scottish botanist and botanical artist
- Alexander Dickson, Scotland rosarian
- Andrew David Dickson, Forestry Consultant, Aberdeenshire,
- Andrew Dickson White, American diplomat, author and educator, co-founder of Cornell University
- Bertram Dickson, British aviation pioneer
- Brian Dickson, Canadian judge, and Chief Justice of Canada 1984–1990
- Brice Dickson, Irish academic
- Chris Dickson
- Colin Dickson, British rosarian
- General Sir Collingwood Dickson, British Army officer and Victoria Cross recipient
- Sir David Dickson senior British naval surgeon
- Earle Dickson, American inventor of adhesive bandages
- Emily Winifred Dickson, first woman Fellow of a College of Surgeons in Great Britain or Ireland
- Eva Dickson, Swedish explorer
- Lieutenant Commander Harlan Dickson, American naval officer
- Harry Dickson, fictional detective
- Henry Newton Dickson, oceanographer and meteorologist
- James Dickson
- Jane Dickson, American painter
- John Dickson
- Kwesi Dickson, American racing driver
- Leonard Eugene Dickson, American mathematician
- Michael Dickson , IRA member
- Michael Dickson , British structural engineer
- Neil Dickson, British actor
- Ngila Dickson, New Zealand costume designer
- Oscar Dickson, 1st Baron Dickson, Swedish Explorer and philanthropist
- Renn Dickson Hampden, English bishop
- Robert Dickson
- Thomas Dickson
- William Dickson