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 (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".

Performers and entertainers

 * Adrian Dickson (born 1977), British broadcaster
 * Barbara Dickson (born 1947), British actress and singer
 * Brenda Dickson (born 1949), American actress
 * Dorothy Dickson (1893–1995), American actress
 * Fiona Dickson (born 1940), British dancer
 * Gloria Dickson (1917–1945), American actress
 * Ian Dickson (born 1963), Australian music business figure and TV personality
 * Nicolle Dickson (born 1969), Australian actress
 * Pearl Dickson (1903–1977), American Memphis and country blues singer and songwriter
 * Peter Dickson (presenter), British radio personality
 * Tricia Dickson (living), American voice actor
 * Rob Dickson (living), Canadian songwriter

Politicians and activists

 * John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington (1866–1936), British politician
 * Alexander George Dickson (1834–1889), British politician
 * Anne Dickson (born 1928), Northern Ireland politician
 * Charles Dickson, Lord Dickson (1850–1922), Scottish judge and politician
 * Edward M. Dickson (1912–2000), American politician
 * Fred Dickson (1937–2012), Canadian Senator, Government of Canada (politician and lawyer)
 * Frank S. Dickson (1876–1973), American politician
 * Gary Dickson (living), Canadian politician
 * Jeremiah Dickson, Governor of Nova Scotia
 * Joe Dickson (living), Canadian politician
 * Joseph Dickson (1745–1825), American politician
 * Julie Dickson, Canadian public servant
 * Margaret H. Dickson (living), American politician
 * Moses Dickson (1824–1901), African American abolitionist
 * Samuel Dickson (American politician) (1807–1858), American politician
 * Walter Hamilton Dickson (1806–1885), Canadian politician

Sportspeople

 * Bob Dickson (born 1944), American golfer
 * Bill Dickson (1923 – 2002), Northern Irish Footballer
 * Brandon Dickson (born 1984), American professional baseball player
 * Byron W. Dickson (1875–1930), American athlete and coach
 * Charlie Dickson (1934–2013), Scottish footballer
 * Des Dickson (Australian footballer) (born 1941), Australian rules footballer
 * Des Dickson (footballer, born 1948), Northern Irish footballer and manager
 * Herbert Dickson, Scottish footballer
 * Hugh Dickson (footballer, born 1899), Scottish footballer
 * Itimi Dickson (born 1983), Nigerian-Singaporean football player
 * Jason Dickson (born 1973), Canadian baseball player
 * Ken Dickson (1946–2013), Scottish and British wheelchair curler
 * Lee Dickson (born 1985), British rugby player
 * Lance Dickson (born 1969), American baseball player
 * Michael Dickson (American football) (born 1996), American football player
 * Murry Dickson (1916–1989), American baseball player
 * Paul Dickson (football player) (1937–2011), American football player
 * Peter Dickson (footballer) who played for Scottish clubs Albion Rovers and Queen of the South
 * Rick Dickson (living), American athletics director
 * Rob Dickson (1963–2009), Australian rules footballer and film director
 * (Robert) Bruce Dickson (born 1931), Canadian hockey player, Gold medal Olympian
 * Ryan Dickson (born 1986), English footballer
 * Tom Dickson (living), American figure skater
 * Tommy Dickson (1929–2007), Northern Ireland footballer
 * Xzavier Dickson (born 1992), American football player

Writers

 * Alexander Dicsone (1558 - c1603), Scottish writer and agent
 * Carter Dickson, pen name of John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), American mystery writer
 * Clarissa Dickson Wright (1947–2014), British food writer
 * Gordon R. Dickson (1923–2001), Canadian science fiction writer
 * Lieutenant Colonel H. R. P. Dickson (1881–1959), British political agent in the Middle East, and author of several books on Kuwait
 * Paul Dickson (living), American writer
 * Samuel Henry Dickson (1798–1872), American poet, physician, writer and educator
 * Dame Violet Dickson (1896–1991), British author and botanist

Others

 * Aaron Dickson (born 1980), Irish artist
 * Major General Sir Alexander Dickson (1777–1840), British Army officer
 * Alexander Dickson (1836–1887), Scottish botanist and botanical artist
 * Alexander Dickson (1857–1949), Scotland rosarian
 * Amanda America Dickson (1849—1893), American socialite and former slave
 * Andrew Dickson White (1832–1918), American diplomat, author and educator, co-founder of Cornell University
 * Anthony Hampden Dickson (1935–2022), Jamaican Roman Catholic bishop
 * Bertram Dickson (1873–1913), British aviation pioneer
 * Brian Dickson (1916–1998), Canadian judge, and Chief Justice of Canada 1984–1990
 * Brice Dickson (living), Irish academic
 * Chris Dickson (disambiguation)
 * Colin Dickson (born 1956), British rosarian
 * General Sir Collingwood Dickson (1817–1904), British Army officer and Victoria Cross recipient
 * Sir David Dickson (1780–1850) senior British naval surgeon
 * Dawn Dickson (born 1979), American businesswoman
 * Earle Dickson (1892–1961), American inventor of adhesive bandages
 * Emily Winifred Dickson (1866–1944), first woman Fellow of a College of Surgeons in Great Britain or Ireland
 * Euan Dickson (1892–1980), British-born New Zealander bomber pilot and flying ace
 * Eva Dickson (1905–1938), Swedish explorer
 * Evangeline Dickson (1922–2004), British artist
 * Lieutenant Commander Harlan Dickson (1920–1944), American naval officer
 * Harry Dickson, fictional detective
 * Henry Newton Dickson (1866–1922), oceanographer and meteorologist
 * James Dickson (disambiguation)
 * Jane Dickson (born 1952), American painter
 * John Dickson (disambiguation)
 * Kwesi Dickson (1929 – 2005, Ghanaian priest, theologian, author and academic.
 * Larry Dickson (born 1938), American racing driver
 * Leonard Eugene Dickson (1874–1954), American mathematician
 * Michael Dickson (Irish republican) (born 1964), IRA member
 * Michael Dickson (engineer) (1944–2018), British structural engineer
 * Moses Oruaze Dickson (born 1985), Nigerian lawyer
 * Neil Dickson (living), British actor
 * Ngila Dickson (born 1958), New Zealand costume designer
 * Oscar Dickson, 1st Baron Dickson (1823–1897), Swedish Explorer and philanthropist
 * Renn Dickson Hampden (1793–1868), English bishop
 * Robert Dickson (disambiguation)
 * Sarah E. Dickson (1880–1965), first woman elder in the Presbyterian church
 * Thomas Dickson (disambiguation)
 * William Dickson (disambiguation)
 * William Dickson (solicitor) (1799–1875), solicitor, magistrate, banker and antiquary