PICK
English and German are the two principal linguistic origins of the surname Pick. In the former country, the name derives from the Middle English word pik, meaning a pointed or sharp object. In German, the surname stems from the word pick, which denotes a peak or summit, suggesting a locational connection to an elevated area.
Documentary evidence of the surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears under several forms, including Pick, Pix, and Picke. Subsequent records from the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1191 and the Assize Court Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221 confirm its continued use. Baptisms and marriages recorded in London churches during the early twentieth century—such as the christening of Robert Pick in 1606 at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and the marriage of Mary Ann Pickess to Alexander Hamilton at St. James, Westminster in 1828—illustrate the surname’s persistence into modern times.
Variations of the name are extensive. Apart from the forms mentioned above, the surname has also been recorded as Picks, Pickes, Pickess, and Pickiss. Broader orthographic differences include Pic, Pik, Peak, Peek, Picker, Pickett, Picket, Pickles, and Pickard. Such diversity reflects the name’s evolution across regions and languages.
In England, the name is especially associated with northern counties, where it is believed to have original roots in an Old English pre‑7th century word akin to the modern sense of a pickaxe or pointed tool. The name may therefore have served as a metonymic occupational surname for a miner, quarryman, or tool maker, or as a topographic marker for those dwelling near a prominent point in the landscape.
Present‑day distribution of the surname spans multiple continents. In Europe it remains common in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where demographic factors—including historical Jewish communities—have influenced the frequency of the name. North America, particularly the United States and Canada, shows lower frequencies, while Israel exhibits a comparatively higher prevalence. The surname is also present in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and diverse Asian regions such as India, China, the Shengen Zone, and Japan, though the concentrations vary widely.
The occupational and topographic meanings of Pick have led to a range of societal associations, from those who manufactured or employed pickaxes to individuals who lived near hills or summits. The name’s endurance across eight centuries attests to its robust linguistic and cultural resilience in both its English and Germanic incarnations.
Typical given names associated with the Pick surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Jonathan
- Michael
- Robert
- Simon
- Thomas
Female
- Alison
- Carol
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pick in...
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There are approximately 3,188 people named Pick in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,842nd most common surname in Britain. Around 49 in a million people in Britain are named Pick.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pick
- John Pick - Poet, novelist, and biographer (1921 to 2015)
- Owen Pick - Paralympics snowboarder and military veteran
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.