PICKETT
Pickett is an English surname that has long been associated with the British Isles. It originates from a term meaning a pointed stake or post and has been used to describe both an occupation and a physical characteristic. The name remains common in England and is predominantly borne by families of Christian faith.
The earliest semantic root of the surname lies in the Middle-English word piket, a stake used for fencing or fortification. In medieval times, the name was applied to individuals who produced or utilised such pickets. It was, therefore, an occupational designation, similar to surnames inherited from other trades.
After the Norman Conquest of 1066, the personal name Pic was introduced into England. This name, enhanced by the diminutive suffixes -et or -ot, appears in early records as Picot, Pigot and Piket. The Norman form of the surname is of Germanic origin, derived from pic, meaning sharp or pointed. Such a root was frequently used in the formation of names describing a pointed hill, a sharp tool, or as a nickname for a tall, thin person.
Historical citations of the name are abundant. William Piket is recorded in 1177 in Berkshire, Waubert Pyket in 1277 in London, and Peter Pygot in 1285 in Cambridgeshire. The earliest extant spelling is that of Roger Picot, dated to 1086 in the Domesday Book of Cheshire, during the reign of King William I, known as “the Conqueror.”
Over the centuries, the surname has evolved into a number of variants. Modern forms include Pickett, Pikett, Pigott, Picot, Pykett and occasionally Pig(g)ot. Each preserves the original sense of a pointed object, whether literal or metaphorical.
A heraldic device belonging to a bearers lineage of this name features a black shield bearing three silver pickaxes. The crest consists of a dexter arm embowed, silver‑vested, green‑cuffed, holding a pickaxe proper, and two green bars wavy. This coat of arms was granted to the Pickett family and heronsk in visual symbolism to the occupational origin of the name.
One notable bearer, Adam Pickett, commanded the ketch “New London” on its 1679 voyage to the Barbadoes, demonstrating the surname’s presence in maritime history.
In sum, Pickett is a surname rooted in the medieval English occupation of stake-making, enriched by Norman and Germanic linguistic influences. Its recorded history, heraldic representation and variety of spellings reflect a widespread and enduring lineage within the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Pickett surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- Gary
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gillian
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Piggot
- Packett
- Peckett
- Picett
- Picat
- Picket
- Pickette
- Pacatte
- Pacaud
- Packet
- Pacquett
- Pacquette
- Pact
- Pacut
- Pagatt
- Pagget
- Paggett
- Paggetti
- Pagghet
- Paggott
- Pagot
- Pagott
- Pagotto
- Pagutt
- Paquet
- Paquete
- Paquette
- Paquot
- Peakett
- Pecket
- Peckit
- Peckitt
- Pecquet
- Pect
- Peekett
- Pegado
- Peggett
- Peggot
- Peggott
- Pegott
- Piacquadio
- Picado
- Picaud
- Picke
- Picked
- Picketh
- Pickets
- Picketts
- Pickitt
- Picklett
- Picknett
- Pickott
- Picot
- Picoto
- Picott
- Picotti
- Picquet
- Pict
- Pictet
- Picto
- Piekut
- Pigato
- Pigatt
- Piggatt
- Pigget
- Piggett
- Piggott
- Pigot
- Pigott
- Piguet
- Piket
- Pikett
- Pikta
- Piquet
- Piskett
- Pockett
- Pocketts
- Poggott
- Pogoda
- Poquet
- Pucket
- Puckett
- Pukett
- Pycott
- Pygot
- Pygott
- Pyket
- Pykett
- Pykitt
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Pickett in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 5,130 people named Pickett in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,843rd most common surname in Britain. Around 79 in a million people in Britain are named Pickett.
Surname type: Diminutive
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Pickett
- Brad Pickett - Martial artist
- Phil Pickett - Musician and songwriter
- Philip Pickett - Musician
- Reg Pickett - Football player (1927 to 2012)
- Harry Pickett - Cricketer (1862 to 1907)
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.