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. "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," meaning "Dick's son" or "Richard's son." 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 capture of Castle Douglas 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".
Adrian Dickson (born 1977), British broadcaster
Alexander Dicsone (1558 - c1603), Scottish writer and agent
Major General Sir Alexander Dickson (1777–1840), British Army officer
Alexander Dickson (1857 - 1949), British rosarian
Alexander George Dickson (1834–1889), British politician
Andrew Dickson White (1832–1918), American diplomat, author and educator, co-founder of Cornell University
Anne Dickson (born 1928), Northern Ireland politician
Barbara Dickson (born 1947), British actress and singer
Bertram Dickson (1873 - 1913), British aviation pioneer
Brenda Dickson (born 1949), American actress
Brian Dickson (1916–1998), Canadian judge, and Chief Justice of Canada 1984–1990
Brice Dickson (living), Irish academic
Bob Dickson (born 1944), American golfer
Byron W. Dickson (1875–1930), American athlete and coach
Carter Dickson, pen name of John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), American mystery writer
Charles Dickson, Lord Dickson (1850–1922), Scottish judge and politician
Charlie Dickson (1934–2013), Scottish footballer
Chris Dickson (disambiguation)
Clarissa Dickson Wright (born 1947), British food writer
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
Des Dickson (footballer) (born 1948), Northern Irish footballer and manager
Dorothy Dickson (1893–1995), American actress
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
Eva Dickson (1905-1938), Swedish explorer
Fiona Dickson (born 1940), British dancer
Honourable Frederick Dickson (1937-2012), Canadian Senator, Government of Canada (politician and lawyer)
Frank S. Dickson (1876–1973), American politician
Gary Dickson (living), Canadian politician
Gloria Dickson (1917–1945), American actress
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
Lieutenant Commander Harlan Dickson (1920–1944), American naval officer
Harry Dickson, fictional detective
Henry Newton Dickson (1866-1922), oceanographer and meteorologist
Herbert Dickson, Scottish footballer
Hugh Dickson (footballer, born 1899), Scottish footballer
Ian Dickson (born 1963), Australian music business figure and TV personality
Itimi Dickson (born 1983), Nigerian-Singaporean football player
James Dickson (disambiguation)
Jane Dickson (born 1952), American painter
Jason Dickson (born 1973), Canadian baseball player
Major-General Sir Jeremiah Dickson, Governor of Nova Scotia
Joe Dickson (living), Canadian politician
John Dickson (disambiguation)
John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington (1866–1936), British politician
Joseph Dickson (1745–1825), American politician
Julie Dickson, Canadian public servant
Lee Dickson (born 1985), British rugby player
Lance Dickson (born 1969), American baseball player
Larry Dickson (born 1938), American racing driver
Leonard Eugene Dickson (1874–1954), American mathematician
Margaret H. Dickson (living), American politician
Michael Dickson (Irish republican) (born 1964), IRA member
Michael Dickson (engineer) (born 1944), British structural engineer
Murry Dickson (1916–1989), American baseball player
Neil Dickson (living), British actor
Ngila Dickson (born 1958), New Zealand costume designer
Nicolle Dickson (born 1969), Australian actress
Oscar Dickson, 1st Baron Dickson (1823–1897), Swedish Explorer and philanthropist
Paul Dickson (living), American writer
Paul Dickson (football player) (born 1937), American football player
Peter Dickson (presenter), British radio personality
Peter Dickson (footballer) who played for Scottish clubs Albion Rovers and Queen of the South
Renn Dickson Hampden (1793–1868), English bishop
Rick Dickson (living), American athletics director
Robert Dickson (disambiguation)
Rob Dickson (1963–2009), Australian rules footballer and film director
Ryan Dickson (born 1986), English footballer
Samuel Dickson (American politician) (1807–1858), American politician
Samuel Henry Dickson (1798–1872), American poet, physician, writer and educator
Temple Dickson (1934–2006), American lawyer and politician
Thomas Dickson (disambiguation)
Tom Dickson (living), American figure skater
Tommy Dickson (1929–2007), Northern Ireland footballer
Tricia Dickson (living), American voice actor
Dame Violet Dickson (1896–1991), British author and botanist
Walter Hamilton Dickson (1806–1885), Canadian politician
William Dickson (disambiguation)
Dickson (surname) Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA