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 (Edinburgh 1722) 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" (in the earliest record spelled Dicson), 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 (1247–1307) 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 (and 30 other derivates) 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".
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Aaron Dickson (born 1980), Northern Irish artist
Alec Dickson (1914–1994), British activist
Alex Dickson (boxer) (born 1962), Scottish boxer Alexander Dickson (British Army officer) (1777–1840), British Army officer Alexander Dickson (botanist) (1836–1887), Scottish botanist Alexander George Dickson (1834–1889), British politician
Amy Dickson (born 1982), Australian classical saxophone player Andrew Dickson (born 1945), English music composer Andrew Flinn Dickson (1825–1879), American minister and author Angela Dickson (born 1944), Welsh international badminton player
Antonia Dickson (1850–1950), British writer, lecturer, concert pianist
Archibald Dickson (sea captain) (1892–1939), Welsh sea captain
B
Barry Dickson (born 1962), Australian neurobiologist Beatrice Dickson (1852–1941), Swedish philanthropist Benjamin Abbott Dickson (1897–1976), United States Army colonel Bertram Dickson (1873–1913), Scottish airman Billy Dickson (footballer) (born 1945), Scottish footballer Billy Dickson, American cinematographer and television director
Brenda Dickson (born 1949), American actress Brent Dickson (born 1941), American judge Brian Dickson (1916–1998), Chief Justice of Canada from 1984 to 1990 Brice Dickson, Irish legal academic
Bruce Dickson (rower) (1932–2006), Australian rower
C Camilla Dickson (1932–1998), English archaeobotanist
Charles de Graft Dickson (1913–1997), Ghanaian educationist and politician
Charles Dickson (soldier), Canadian politician
Charles Gordon Campbell Dickson (1907–1991), Soft redirect to Wikispecies Charles Rea Dickson (1858–1938), Advocate for the blind, co-founder of CNIB
Christine E. Dickson (born 2000), American cognitive psychologist
D Dale Dickson (born 1962), Australian rules footballer Dave Dickson (born 1959), US international rugby union player David C. Dickson (Mississippi politician) (1794–1836), American politician
David Dickson (swimmer) (born 1941), Australian freestyle swimmer David Dickson (minister) (1583–1662), Scottish theologian and minister David Dickson (surgeon) (1780–1850), Scottish naval surgeon
David Dickson (footballer) (born 1952), Australian rules footballer
Des Dickson (Australian footballer) (born 1941), Australian rules footballer Des Dickson (footballer, born 1948), Northern Irish footballer
Doug Dickson (1894–1960), Australian politician
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Edward Dickson (Canadian politician) (1854–1903), Canadian politician
Edward Stirling Dickson (1765–1844), British naval officer
Elias Evander Dickson (1832–1909), American politician Elizabeth Dickson (1793–1862), British anti-Barbary slaves activist
Emily Dickson (born 1997), Canadian biathlete
Evon Dickson (1934–2012), New Zealand cricketer
F Fadda Dickson, Ghanaian media executive
Frank S. Dickson (1876–1953), American politician Fred Dickson (1937–2012), Canadian politician
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George Dickson (cricketer), Australian cricketer
Glenn Dickson (footballer) (born 1954), Australian rules footballer
Gordon Dickson (athlete) (1932–2015), Canadian long-distance runner Gordon Dickson (rugby union) (born 1954), Scotland international rugby union player
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Henry Newton Dickson (1866–1922), British professor of geography
Herbert Dickson, Scottish footballer Hilton A. Dickson Jr. (1924–1985), American politician Hislop Dickson (1933–2024), Scottish cyclist Hugh Dickson (footballer, born 1899) (1899–1981), Scottish footballer Hugh Dickson (footballer, born 1981), Northern Irish footballer Hughie Dickson (1895–1965), English footballer
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Ian Dickson (footballer) (1902–1976), Scottish footballer
Itimi Dickson (born 1983), Singaporean footballer
J James Bell Dickson (1923–1944), US Army Air Force pilot in WW2
James Dickson (New Zealand politician) (1854–1937), New Zealand politician
James Dickson (cricketer) (1887–1970), New Zealand cricketer
James Dickson (Swedish politician) (1899–1980), Swedish politician, agronomist and chamberlain James Dickson (rugby union) (1897–1963), Rugby union player from Northern Ireland James Douglas Hamilton Dickson (1849–1931), Scottish mathematician and expert in electricity
James G. Dickson (1891–1962), American mycologist
James Jameson Dickson (1815–1885), Scottish-Swedish logging industrialist and philanthropist James M. Dickson, American politician James Robertson Dickson (1810–1873), Swedish shipping and logging businessman James Samuel Dickson (1870–1939), New Zealand politician Jane Dickson (born 1952), American painter
Jessica Dickson (born 1984), American basketball player Jim Dickson (politician) (born 1964), British politician
Joan Dickson (1921–1994), Scottish cellist and cello teacher
Joe Dickson (footballer) (1934–1990), English footballer
John Dickson (basketball) (born 1945), American basketball player John Dickson (footballer) (1949–1998), Scottish footballer John Dickson (minister), 17th-century minister from Rutherglen in Scotland
John Dickson (New York politician) (1783–1852), American politician John Dickson (railway contractor) (1819–1892), British railway-construction company owner John Dickson (Australian politician), Australian politician John Dickson (American poet) (1916–2009), American poet and short story writer John Dickson (priest) (born 1746), Anglican priest in 18th century John F. Dickson (1821–1880), American public servant and law enforcement officer John Frederick Dickson (1835–1891), British colonial civil servant
Jonathan Dickson (born 2000), American actor
Julie Dickson (born 1955), Canadian civil servant
K Kari Dickson (born 1966), British translator
Ken Dickson (1946–2013), Scottish and British wheelchair curler and Paralympian
Kylie Dickson (born 1999), Belarusian artistic gymnast
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Lee Dickson (born 1985), England international rugby union player Leonard Eugene Dickson (1874–1954), American mathematician Lillian Dickson (1901–1983), American missionary Linda Dickson (born 1979), New Zealand sailor
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Marcus Dickson (born 1928), Sports shooter from Northern Ireland Margaret H. Dickson (born 1949), American politician
Mark Dickson (footballer) (born 1981), Irish footballer
Matiu Dickson (1952–2016), New Zealand Māori teacher, lawyer and academic Maurice Dickson (1882–1940), Scotland dual-international rugby union player & cricketer Menzies Dickson (1840–1891), American photographer
N Naomi Dickson (born 2000), British Jewish charity owner Neely Dickson (1877–1946), American theater impresario Neil Dickson (born 1951), English actor
Niall Dickson (born 1953), Journalist and health executive Nicolle Dickson (born 1969), Australian actress Noel Dickson (born 1933), Australian rules footballer
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Olle Dickson (1901–1995), Swedish swimmer Oscar Dickson (1823–1897), Swedish magnate, bulk merchant, industrialist and philanthropist
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Paul Dickson (writer) (born 1939), American journalist Pearl Dickson (1903–1977), American Memphis and country blues singer and songwriter Peter Dickson (announcer) (born 1957), Northern Irish voice-over artist
Peter Dickson (rower) (1945–2008), Australian rower Peter Dickson (footballer) (born 1951), Scottish footballer
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Richard Dickson (curler) (born 1979), Scottish male curler
Rita Akosua Dickson (born 1970), Ghanaian chemist
Robbie Dickson, British-Canadian engineer
Robert Dickson (writer) (1944–2007), Canadian poet, translator and academic Robert Dickson (sailor) (born 1998), Irish sailor
Robert Dickson (Upper Canada politician) (1796–1846), Canadian lawyer and politician
Robert Dickson (physician) (1804–1875), Scottish physician and botanist Robert Temple Dickson III (1934–2006), American politician Robert Temple Dickson II (1909–1950), American politician Rodolfo Dickson (born 1997), Mexican Canadian alpine skier Roy Ward Dickson (1910–1978), Canadian television producer and host Ruby Dickson, American politician and economist
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Sam Dickson (rugby union) (born 1989), New Zealand rugby sevens player Samuel Auchmuty Dickson (1817–1870), Irish Conservative politician Samuel Dickson (Australian politician) (1866–1955), Australian politician Samuel Dickson (American politician) (1807–1858), American politician
Samuel Henry Dickson (1798–1872), American poet
Sean Dickson (born 1991), English-South African cricketer Simon Dickson (born 1982), British tennis player Sinclair Dickson (1885–1961), Australian rules footballer
Suzanne Dickson (born 1966), Swedish neurobiologist
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Ted Dickson (1923–1996), British greyhound racing professional trainer
Thomas Dickson (Nova Scotia politician) (1791–1855), Canadian politician
Thomas Dickson (sprinter) (born 1974), American sprinter Thomas Dickson (Upper Canada politician), Canadian politician Thomas Dickson (industrialist) (1822–1884), American businessman Thomas Dickson (antiquary) (1825–1904), Scottish antiquary
Thomas Law Dickson, Nova Scotian politician Tom Dickson (figure skater) (born 1962), American figure skater Tom Dickson (Australian footballer) (1888–1958), Australian rules footballer Tom Dickson (Georgia politician) (born 1945), American politician Tommy Dickson (1929–2007), Northern Irish footballer