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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dickson

Dickson

♂ Boy

Pronounced DIK-sun /ˈdɪk.sən/Medium

Meaning: Dickson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Dick,' Dick being the old pet form of Richard. Richard comes from the Germanic 'ric' (ruler, power) and 'hard' (brave, strong), so the name behind it means 'brave ruler.' Used as a first name, Dickson borrows the family name whole.Low

In 30 seconds: Dickson is a surname meaning 'son of Dick (Richard),' 'brave ruler.' It appeared in US records in small numbers across the twentieth century (said DIK-sun).
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Origin MediumEnglish, Germanic
MeaningDickson is a patronymic surname meaning 'son of Dick,' Dick being the old pet form of Richard. Richard comes from the Germanic 'ric' (ruler, power) and 'hard' (brave, strong), so the name behind it means 'brave ruler.' Used as a first name, Dickson borrows the family name whole.
U.S. rank (2023)#12684 ↘ Falling
2023 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1961
Total births (all-time)≈ 610

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 196119142023

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dickson is a patronymic surname, 'son of Dick,' the medieval pet form of Richard. Richard itself joins Germanic 'ric' (ruler) and 'hard' (brave), giving 'brave ruler.' As a given name Dickson sits alongside surname-names like Jackson and Harrison, carrying that strong, two-beat sound and its ruler's meaning.

It was never common as a first name, appearing in small numbers from the nineteen-tens onward and reaching only about fifteen boys in its best year around the early nineteen-sixties. It has stayed a quiet surname-name choice.

Did you know? Dickson began as a Scottish and English family name, and like Jackson or Harrison it drifted into first-name use; in the United States it stayed uncommon but present across the twentieth century.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Dickson — Patronymic surname 'son of Dick/Richard' (Germanic ric 'ruler' + hard 'brave')

Variations

DixonDickensonDick

Nicknames

Dick

Famous Bearers

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If you like Dickson…

Dixon— a like spelling of the same surname
Jackson— a similar 'son of' surname-name
Harrison— a comparable patronymic given name
Emerson— a like surname turned first name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dickson mean?

It means 'son of Dick,' the pet form of Richard, so 'son of the brave ruler'; Dickson is a surname used as a given name.

How do you pronounce Dickson?

It is said DIK-sun /ˈdɪk.sən/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Dickson a boy or girl name?

Dickson is used as a boy's name.

Is Dickson a popular name?

No; as a first name it was never common, appearing in small numbers across the twentieth century.

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