Vick

Vick One-Name Study

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Study details

Study: Vick

Variants: Veck, Vicke, Vik, Vyck, Vycke

Category: 1 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is in its early stages.

DNA website: www.familytreedna.com/groups/vick

Contact: Col James Vick

About the study

While I joined the Guild of One-Name Studies in 2006, the Vick One-Name study did not commence until October 2007. My interest in genealogy and my Vick family history started in 1991 when my daughter asked me where our family came from. My uncle, Robert Edward Vick, Sr., drew up a pedigree chart for my daughter. A passion to learn about the Vick family's earliest origins sprang from my daughter's question about what came before the earliest entry in the Vick line on the chart.

Variant names

The registered variants of the name are Veck, Vicke, Vik, Vyck, and Vycke. LeVick was already registered for a one-name study though it is a variant. Other possible variants include Fick, Ficke, Fecke, Veack, Veak, Veake, Veckes, Veeck, Veecks, Veke, Vesgue, Vesk, Vesque, Vic, Vicks, Vicq, Vieck, Viek, Viik, and Viks.

Mac Vick, MacVick, and McVick also appear in various records in Scotland, Canada, and the U.S.

Name origin

"The Dictionary of English Surnames" by Reaney and Wilson says that the Vick surname is a variant of Veck. Veck comes from the Old French name le Eveske meaning the bishop. Dr. Andrew Millard told me "Vic is found as a placename and a surname in France, with the surname concentrated in two areas: around Vic-en-Bigorre in the Pyrenees, and in the Département de l'Hérault, around Montpelier. Given the historical links between England and Aquitaine (which included Bigorre) there is the possibility of a connection with English VICKs."

"Dictionary of American Family Names" edited by Patrick Hanks says "Vick is an English nickname or metonymic occupational name, from Anglo-Norman French l'eveske 'the bishop', which was wrongly taken for le vesk. This in turn became Vesk, and later Veck or Vick. 2. North German variant of FICK."

"New Dictionary of American Family Names" by Elsdon C. Smith states "Vick, Vicks (Eng. Wel.) one who came from Vicq (village), the name of various places in France, the small man."

Hudson John Powell found what may indicate a locational origin of the Vick surname in England. Mr. Powell found an entry in 'Abstracts of feet of fines relating to Gloucestershire 1199-1299' (The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society; Gloucestershire Record Series Vol. 16; Edited by C.R. Elrington; 2003; ISBN 0 900197 58 7) that references John de Wyk (Wick) of Randwick (page 185, entry number 913 for the year 1287). Dr. Andrew Millard said "The Old English term for a settlement or a market or trading place was wic pronounced either witch (as in Ispwich) or wick (as in Hardwick)." Dr. Millard said the "de means 'He is of' Wyk, which could mean he lives there, or his ancestors did, or that he is lord of the place. There are a number of places with this name in Gloucestershire and neighbouring counties." Dr. Millard also said "As most medieval legal documents in England were written in Medieval French or Medieval Latin, it is frequently used in them where in everyday speech the Middle English 'of' or 'at' might have been used, as well as a direct transcription of what was spoken in the names of the nobility who used French as their first language. So someone described as 'de molendarius', meaning 'of the mill', probably had a spoken name 'at Mill' or 'Miller'. 'de' as a prefix to surnames formed from English words rarely, if ever, became part of the name. So John De Wyk's decendants, if they inherited his name, probably did not use 'of Wyk', but just Wyk. Eventually this is reflected in Latin documents, as scribes wrote what they were told. If a man was stated to be called John of Wyk, it was written down as Johannes de Wyk, but his descendant a few generations later when surnames had become fixed, would be called John Wyk and recorded in written Latin as Johannes Wyk."

Mr. Powell also found the following on page 81 of "A History of Standish Gloucestershire:" "Two other small transactions are of local interest. In 1549, William Sawle and William Bridges paid into the Court of Augmentations (a sort of clearing-house for Monastic plunder) the sum of £1,228 16s. 6d., in exchange for sundry properties, including 'the land, one acre, called Norfeld in Randwicke, within Standishe, in the tenure of Thomas Wike, given to a lamp in the Parish Church (of Standish)' and also 'the land, one acre in Alkeley Felde, in Hardewicke, in tenure of Thomas Haresfeld, given to a lamp in the Parish Church.' In the Hardwicke Return this appears as 'Certein land given to finde a lamp there. To the yerelie value of xjd., the whole (now) Distributed to the poor.' Is (sic) is probable that the name Wike became Vicke a century later." Mr. Powell believes it is probable that this Thomas Wike is the Thomas Veke that was buried in Randwick in 1574.

A Thomas Vick had a son named James (born about 1575 in Randwick). According to Mr. Powell, James married Elizabeth Myll. Mr. Powell also found that "Men & Armour for Gloucestershire in 1608," by John Smith (Republished by Alan Sutton; 1980; ISBN/ISSN: 0904387496) lists on page 308 "under Oxlinge (Oxlinch) James Bycke, mason one pike. Also listed is John Bycke his servant." Mr. Powell also found on page 199 of "A History of Standish Gloucestershire" the following "...Elizabeth Vick did not surrender her interest in the place till 10th May, 1642; she was the widow of James Vycke, mason to Sir Ralph Dutton" and on page 200 "By an earlier grant, James Vicke of Oxlinche in Randwicke, masson, had handed over lands to Sir Ralph, including Conygeare, Greate Combe, and Calfestyles Grove, and on 10th May, 1642, Elizabeth Vick, his widow had surrendered a pasture called Cleve (p. 149), and a little grove in Oxlinche."

The quotes Mr. Powell found show how the surname Wyk could have evolved to Wike, Veke, Vycke, Vicke, and Vick. However, Dr. Millard said "As to whether this could be the origin of the name, I am doubtful. To get from a place called Wick to the surname Vick requires a W to V sound transition that I think is unlikely in an English context...." Dr. Millard said further, "The letter W in an English context, from as far back as the first written Old English, is pronounced as it is today."

The Vick surname may also have arisen independently in Sussex and Hampshire. A John Ficke was christened on June 30, 1650, in Compton, Sussex, England according to the International Genealogical Index (IGI). The IGI also says a Jhon Veick was christened on October 12, 1593, in Saint Maurice, Winchester, Hampshire, England. The 1841 Census of England shows three clusters of Vicks in England. The largest is in Gloucestershire (53 percent), followed by Hampshire (18 percent) and Sussex (14 percent). The remaining Vicks (15 percent) were scattered across ten other counties.

According to information from The Isle of Man Family History Society, Vick on the Isle of Man is derived from Ficke. All the Fickes on the Isle of Man prior to 1850 appear to be descendants of Johann Danael Ficke who was originally of Lubeck. He married Elizabeth Stone/Oliver of Peel in Germany on April 9, 1761. "Vick was used post 1820 as John Fick was given as John Vick in Malew."A Fick family in Canada traces its origins to Johhan on the Isle of Mann.

Dr. Rita Heuser of Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat Mainz wrote "The surname of Vick definitely goes back to a person's name, namely the Old Germanic name of Friedrich. It displays the dithematic structure typical for Germanic names, combining the parts fridu- 'peace' and -rihhi 'mighty, powerful'. Those names were in Germanic times probably meant as a kind of metaphorical blessing for the child. By sound change and regional orthographic conventions, Friedrich became Vick/Fick in some areas... A broad variety of surname variants emerged from the Germanic name of Friedrich, e.g. Fick(e), Vicke, Feck(e)." Roger Kenneth Vick's great great grandfather, Hans Christian Fredericksen, lived on the boarder of Denmark and Germany. Hans' son, Hans Peter, took the Vick surname. Hans Peter died in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Vik is a Norwegian word meaning an inlet or cove. There are at least four cities in Norway with the name Vik - Buskerud, Nordland, Rogaland, and Sogn Og Fjordane.

Some immigrants to the United States changed their surname to one more familiar in America. For example, Jan Nepomuk Vich (born June 11, 1869 of the district of Vysoke Myto, of what is today the Czech Republic) changed his name to John Vick by the time he appears in the 1910 U.S. Census of Benton Co., Wisconsin (Source: Frank Wolniak - great grandson of Jan).

Historical occurrences of the name

Thomas Wyk is mentioned in 'Abstract of Feet of Fines relating to Gloucestershire 1199-1299,' (The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society; Gloucestershire Record Series Vol. 16; Edited by C.R. Elrington; 2003; ISBN 0 900197 58 7) page 185, entry number 913 for the year 1287. (Source Hudson John Powell)
About 1364, Henry De Vick or De Wick of Württemberg, Germany, was commissioned to build a verge escapement clock for Charles V of France.
John Veke is listed on page 182 of 'Gloucestershire Military Survey 1522,' (The Bristol & Gloucestershire Archaeological Society; Record Series Volume 6; R. W. Hoyle; 1993; ISBN 0 900197 36 3). He is listed under Whitstone Hundred, Standish, with a worth of £3-6s-8d. This John could provide a sword. (Source Hudson John Powell)
"A History of Standish Gloucestershire," by H.T. Lilley (Charpentier Ltd; 1932) says on page 81 in referring to a land transaction in 1549 involving Thomas Wike, it "is probable that the name Wike became Vicke a century later." Page 199 says "...Elizabeth Vick did not surrender her interest in the place till 10th May, 1642; she was the widow of James Vycke, mason to Sir Ralph Dutton." While page 200 says "By an earlier grant, James Vicke of Oxlinche in Randwicke, masson, had handed over lands to Sir Ralph, including Conygeare, Greate Combe, and Calfestyles Grove, and on 10th May, 1642, Elizabeth Vick, his widow had surrendered a pasture called Cleve (p. 149), and a little grove in Oxlinche."
A letter of May 30, 1550, from "John Vicke to Mr. Ridge, the mayor of Southampton" is mentioned in "The corporation of Southampton: Letters and loose memoranda, The Manuscripts of the Corporations of Southampton and Kings Lynn:" Eleventh report, Appendix; part III (1887), pp. 97-134.
"Joseph Vick of Lower Parish, Isle of Wight County, Virginia and His Descendants" says on pages 3 and 4, "The earliest records of English Vicks are found in only Gloucestershire and begin around the middle of the sixteenth century. A Richard Vicke of Kings Stanley, Gloucestershire, left a will dated 21 February 1565/6 that was proved in the Consistory Court." As Hudson John Powell pointed out to me this is probably just the earliest parish record.
The Ancestral File lists Adolf Vick as being born in Weitersweiler, Bas-Rhin, France about 1588 (AFN: MFCK-9K).
"Men & Armour for Gloucestershire in 1608," by John Smith (Republished by Alan Sutton; 1980; ISBN/ISSN: 0904387496) is a muster role of "fit and able bodied men" according to GENUKI, UK and Ireland Genealogy. The "Vick Family Newsletter," Vol. XIII, No. 4, October 1997, p. 39 says "In Smith's 'Men and Armour for 1608,' the first Gloucestershire census, there are recorded only three members of the Vicke family at King's Stanley and two at Eastington." Hudson John Powell told me that on page 308 under Oxlinge (Oxlinch) there is a James Bycke, mason one pike, listed with John Bycke his servant.
The will of Thomas Vicke of Killbrogan, County Cork, Munster, Ireland was probated in 1619, according to "Index to Irish Wills, 1536-1857, Vol. II - Chapter Calendar of Wills in the Diocese of Cork and Ross, 1548-1800," page 111.
The earliest record of a Vick in America is for Joseph Vick, probably born 1640-1650 and most likely in England. According to page 5 of "Joseph Vick of Lower Parish, Isle of Wight County, Virginia and His Descendants," Hodges Councill gave Joseph 50 acres in Beaver Dam Swamp in Isle of Wight County, Virginia on 20 December 1675.
Lütke Vicke was born February 21, 1669, in Eyendorf, a municipality of Harburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
"The Bristol Register of Servants" says "Mary Vick of Berkely, (Glos), spinster, to William Whetston, 9 yrs Barbados by Mary" on 20 Feb 1686
"Four Shillings In The Pound Aid 1693/4: The City of London, the City of Westminster, and Metropolitan Middlesex" (1992) lists a Phillip Vicke.
John Vick was a deacon of Zion's Lutheran Church in Athens, New York, in 1723 according to an extract from 'History of Greene County,' by J.B. Beers published in 1884, by Ann Clapper.
According to the International Genealogical Index (IGI), Jochum Vick married Catharina Jensdatter on July 16, 1706 in Vonsild, Vejle, Denmark.
According to the IGI, Anna Catharina Vick was christened on October 24, 1714, in Tyska Fors, Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden.
The Database of Court Officers 1660-1837 shows that Richard Vick became watchmaker to King George I on December 8, 1722, and vacated the position on June 11, 1727, upon the death of George I.
The IGI shows a Catherine VICK of Stormont, Ontario, Canada born about 1750.
About 1750 Johann Danael Ficke arrived on the Isle of Mann from Lubeck, Germany, according to Our Fick Family".
According to Wikipedia, in 1754 William Vick was the inspiration for building a bridge across the Avon Gorge. He was a Bristolian who "left £1,000 invested with instructions that when the interest had accumulated to £10,000, it should be used for the purpose of building a stone bridge between Clifton Down (which was in Gloucestershire, outside the City of Bristol, until the 1830s) and Leigh Woods (then in Somerset)."
Newit Vick was born on March 17, 1766. The city of Vicksburg, Mississippi was named after him. Vicksburg was the site of the Battle of Vicksburg during the American Civil War.
According to "Minchinhampton: Charities for the poor", A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 11: Bisley and Longtree Hundreds (1976), pp. 205-207, "Rebecca Vick of Clifton by will proved 1768 left £200 for poor housekeepers." In 1759 she "settled a rentcharge of £5 4s. to pay a poor woman to teach 15 poor girls of Minchinhampton town to read. The charity was being applied as intended in 1826 but it is not known how long the school survived. £300 was given by Wm. Vick of Bristol for bread for the poor and a sermon."
According to the IGI, Carel Vick (born in 1737 in Straetsburg, Preussen) married Anna Kroese (born in 1741 in Cochin, India) on November 28, 1762 in Cochin, India.
Deborah Vick was born about 1779. She was an African slave living in Kingston, Jamaica in 1817 according to "Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1812-1834."
Private Mathew Vick served in Captain Arthur Applewhite's Company from September to December 1794 in the expedition against the insurgents in Pennsylvania during the Frontier Wars.
John Vick, an African American, was born about 1790 in Virginia according to the 1850 U.S. Census of Wayne, Clinton County, Ohio.
Donald Mac Vick, born about 1791 in Glenelg, Inverness-shire, Scotland, who was a "cottar pauper" was listed in the 1851 Scotland Census as living in the parish of Glenelg, Sealsaig, Inverness, Scotland.
According to the IGI, Adolph Vick was christened March 17, 1793, in Pielavesi, Kuopio, Finland.
Robert Vick, born about 1796 in Scotland, lived in St. Andrew, Tindale (West Division), Northumberland County, Scotland, according to the 1841 England Census.
John Vick, an iron founder, was born about 1806 in Scotland according to the 1841 Scotland Census. He lived in St. Mungo Parish, Glosgow, Lanarkshire County, Scotland.
According to "The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois" Joseph Vick, was born in 1813 in Gloucestershire, England, and moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in 1842. He had five sons and two daughters. Joseph appears to be the Joseph on the 1841 England Census who was born in Gloucestershire, England.
James Vick, founder of the Vick Seed Company and "Vick's Illustrated Monthly Magazine," was born on November 23, 1818, in Portsmouth, England. He immigrated with his parents to the United States in 1833 and eventually lived in Rochester, New York.
A George John Vick, born in 1824 in Thebarton, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, appears in the IGI.
Elizabeth Vick, a convict from Gloucestershire, England, was transported for a life sentence to Van Diemen's Land on 12 Jul 1827. She was transported on the Sovereign.
The Martha Vick house in Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S., was built about 1830. It is an historic site, and it is open for tours.
Henry Vick, a convict from Gloucestershire, England, was transported for a life sentence to Tasmania, Australia, on the Emporer Alexander. He was convicted on October 16, 1832, and he arrived on April 6, 1833, according to "All New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849 Results" and "Australian Convict Transportation Registers - Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868." He was sent to Van Dieman's Land colony.
"Inward Slave Manifests for the Port of New Orleans Roll 12, 1837-1839," transcribed by Alma McClendon shows that a black slave named Ben Vick, age 18 and 5 feet 10 inches tall was shipped by his owner, George W. Barnes, to the Port of New Orleans from Richmond, Virginia. Ben was manifested on the Brigatine Orleans on October 21, 1839.
In 1839, Colonel Henry W. Vick of Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S., experimented with various cotton seeds and in the 1840s developed "One Hundred Seed." He was described on page 122 of the 1868 book "Cotton Culture" by Joseph Lyman as follows: "the most persevering and the most successful of all the Mississippi planters in the art of perfecting cotton."
According to the IGI, Catharina Dorothea Vick was born about 1841 in Hoopte, Winsen, Alicante, Spain.
Hans Peter Vick was born January 21, 1842, in Kelby Sogn, Praesto Amt, Denmark.
In a landmark United States Supreme Court decision, Lane v. Vick 44 U.S. (3 How.) 464 the court ruled that a daughter could inherit land from her father.
Newitt Vick, born about 1806 in the U.S. and of African ancestry, lived in the Chatham sub-district of Kent in Canada West (Ontario) according to the 1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Newitt also appears on the 1881 Canadian census.
Private Walter Vick enlists in Company K, First Regiment Kentucky Infantry, Kentucky Volunteers, Confederate States Army on June 17, 1861, in Keysburg, Kentucky.
Wesley Vick, born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, about 1825, enlisted at Vicksburg on November 10, 1863, in the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry.
According to the IGI, Joao Vick was born in 1865 in Pirassununga, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Jonas Jonason Vik (born January 23, 1841, in Trondheim, Sør-Tr ø ndelag, Norway, according to a descendant John S. Houselog) immigrated to the U.S. in 1868 according to the 1880 U.S. Census of Lincoln County, Minnesota. His surname was "Americanized" to Vick.
Carl Heinrich (Charles) Vick (Vicke) left Bremen, Germany on November 21, 1847, on the barque Pauline and arrived with his wife and two children on March 31, 1848, at Port Adelaide, Australia. Charles was born about 1808.
Charles Vick immigrated to the U.S. in 1870 according to the 1900 U.S. Census of Wyandotte, Wayne County, Michigan. Rich CAPEN believes Charles was born Charles GIPPEN in Germany and that Charles "was raised by the Vick family who came over from Germany on the same boat."
Walker Whiting Vick was born August 16, 1878, in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was an advisor to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and an officer of the Democratic Party Committee.
Iver Vick immigrated to the United States in 1880 from Syltevik, Norway. Iver was born in November 1845, and he lived in Sheyenne, Eddy County, North Dakota.
Mary Ruth Vick was born August 27, 1882, in Greenville, Kentucky, U.S. On July 16, 1923, she took her final vows and became a nun in the Order of St. Ursula (OSU) or Ursulines.
A B. Vick was born in South Africa on January 14, 1887, according to the IGI.
Vicks VapoRub was invented in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S., in the 1880s by Lumsford Richardson. He named it after his brother-in-law Joshua W. Vick. VapoRub led to the creation of the Vick Chemical Company which was sold to Proctor & Gamble in 1985.
According to the "Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958," Esther Maria Vick died in the April - June 1888 quarter at the age of three in the Tralee registration district of County Kerry.
Sir Godfrey Russell Vick KC was born December 24, 1892. He served in World War I and was an attorney and judge.
Samuel "Sammy" Bruce Vick was born April 12 1895, in Batesville, Mississippi. He was the only man to ever pinch hit (substitute at bat really) for Babe Ruth.
Herman Vick, born July 1859 in Germany, immigrated to the U.S. in 1889 according to the 1920 U.S. Census of Winona City, Winona County, Minnesota, U.S. His surname is listed in various census documents as Wak, Fick, and Vick.
Helena Annie Vick was born to Sarah Edith Selendia and John Vick on September 25, 1888, in
[http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Worcestershire/WorcesterCathedralBoerWorcsRegt1stBn.html|Private T. Vick of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment died of disease in the South African War (1899-1902).
Ernie Vick was born July 2, 1900, in Toledo, Ohio, U.S. He played catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals between 1922 and 1926.
George Beauchamp Vick was born in 1901 in Russellville, Kentucky, U.S. He was a famous fundamentalist preacher and a founder of Baptist Bible Fellowship International.
In July 1902, 29 descendants of William J. Vick (1818-1856) made claims to the U.S. Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes (the Dawes Commission) stating they were of Choctaw Indian blood through their ancestor Stephen Vick.
In 1908, land for The Vick Ranch in Youngsport, Texas was purchased by Robert Lee Vick and his son William Edgar Vick. The ranch celebrates its 100 year anniversary in 2008.
Sir Francis Arthur Vick was born in Solihull on June 5, 1911.
Lance Corporal Bernard Charles Vick of Chichester, England was killed in action on October 14, 1914, in World War I at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in France.
Lloyd Vick, composer, was born in South Australia in October 1915.
A photograph of Lt. D.B. Vick, Royal Field Artillery, taken August 12, 1916, appears in "The Sphere Magazine."
Private James Frank Vick, U.S. Army, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, 38th Infantry Division, died October 20, 1918. He is buried in the Brookwood American Cemetery in England.
In 1930, Layton C. Vick and his wife Edna started Vick's Corner in Spirit Lake, Iowa.
Harold Vick, jazz saxophonist, was born April 3, 1936, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
James Vick led the Royal Air Forces 607 Squadron through the Battle of Britain.
Private Paul B. Vick, of Texas died in Japanese captivity on May 27, 1942, in the Philippines.
Brigadier General James L. Vick, United States Air Force (not the Guild member), was born July 27, 1943, in Sturgis, Michigan. He flew 276 combat missions during the Vietnam War piloting F-4D's and B-52D's.
Sergeant James Albert Vick, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died on June 3, 1944 in the crash of a Halifax LL307 (NF-J), 138 Squadron, at Tholen, Holland.
Captain Robert Edward Vick, Sr., Commander, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division, United States Army, won the Silver Star for heroism in the Philippines in 1945.
Private First Class Gordon R. Vick, of Edgecombe County, North Carolina died on August 19, 1950, in South Korea.
Specialist Fourth Class Roscoe L. Vick, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina died on March 4, 1966, near Tuy Hoa, South Vietnam. A December 23, 1966 article in Time magazine reported that Robert D. Vick, Sr., a Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., policeman was instrumental in the conviction of Jimmy Hoffa, International Brotherhood of Teamsters union president, for attempted jury fixing.
On April 26, 1971, flying the SR-71 "Blackbird," Lieutenant Colonel Thomas B. Estes and Lieutenant Colonel Dewain C. Vick set the long range aviation endurance record. The feat won them the Mackay trophy and the Harmon trophy.
In 1975 Vick Family Farms begins operation. Jerome and Diane Vick farm 5,000 acres, or 20,234,365 square meters in around Wilson, North Carolina.
From 1976 until January 11, 1979, Commander J.C. Vick was the commander of the Blue Crew of the USS Ethan Allen (SSBN 608).
Helen Vick played a sorority girl in National Lampoon's "Animal House" in 1978. She also played an emergency room nurse in "School Spirit" in 1985 and a nurse in "Nomads" in 1986.
Michael Vick, at one time the highest paid professional football player in the United States, was born June 26, 1980.
Graham Vick founded the Birmingham, England Opera in 1987. In June 2009, he was named a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to opera.
In 1988, Glynn Vick and in 2006, Cecil Vick (brothers) were inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame for their rodeo accomplishments.
In the 1990s Chris Vick was the Communications Director, Office of the Premier Gauteng Province, South Africa, for Premier Tokyo Sexwale. Chris became the Sexwale family spokesman when Sexwale left office.
John Allen Vick appeared in several movies and television shows starting in the 1950s. In 1980, he was in "The Fog." In 1985, he appeared in "Hard Traveling." He appeared in "The Principal" in 1985. Then in 1988 he appeared in the "The Presidio," "Whisper Kill," and "The Dead Pool." In 1992, he appeared in "Passenger 57."
Kenneth Thomas Vick, II, and Richard Earl Griffin were married on February 16, 2004, at San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, CA. Their story is depicted in the movie Justly Married.
"Joseph Vick of Lower Parish, Isle of Wight County, Virginia and His Descendants" by John D. Beatty and Di Ann Vick was published by Genus Publishing in 2004.
The first Vick Prize was awarded for the best Bulgarian novel of the year 2004 by the Vick Foundation (established by Edward Vick).
Ted Martin Vick was elected as a representative in the South Carolina, U.S., state legislature.
"The Innocent Man" by John Gresham is a non-fiction story about the conviction and sentencing to death of Ron Williamson for the 1982 murder and rape of Debra Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma. A witness in the trial that was mentioned in the book was Tony Vick.
Staff Sergeant Eric R. Vick of Spring Hope, North Carolina died on April 1, 2007, in Bagdad, Iraq.
On October 6, 2007, Michael T. Vick ran the St. George Marathon in 2:22:53 finishing eighth.
On May 17, 2008, Robert Vick became the tenth person to bench press 900 pounds. He did so at the World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters Nationals in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, U.S. His lift was a WABDL National and World Record.
The Joseph Vick Family of America (JVFOA) and the Vick Family of Texas joint reunion was held June 20 through 22, 2008, in and around Salado, Texas. The 2009 JVFOA reunion was held July 17-19 in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Sarah Vick of Great Britain placed 692nd in the W18 age group at the 2009 Flora London Marathon. Her time was 3:46:56.
Karen Vick is a character played by Kirsten Nelson on the USA network's television program Psych. Vick is the police chief on the show.
Tina Michelle Henson Vick died of the H1N1 flu at the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, on September 12, 2009.
Charles Vick of Sun City, Arizona, USA, won $1.8M in "The Pick" jackpot according to a story on September 24, 2009, on yourwestvalley.com.
Di Ann Vick co-author of "Joseph Vick of Lower Parish, Isle of Wight County, Virginia and His Descendants," long serving member of the Board of Directors of the Joseph Vick Family of America, and former editor of 'The Vick Family Newsletter' died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 13, 2009.
Henry Vick is a character in Gail Godwin's novel "Unfinished Desires," Random House, 2009.
Don L. Vick is a National Collegiate Athletic Association All-American and Southwest Conference champion 1 & 3 meter springboards as well as a seven time world high diving champion.
The 2010 Joseph Vick Family of America reunion was held July 16-18 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
The 2011 Joseph Vick Family of America reunion was held June 24-26 in Courtland, Virginia, USA. The 2012 reunion will be June 22-24, in Paducah, Kentucky, USA.
In August 2011, Clara Vick of Dimmitt, Texas, USA, was knighted by the Italian Consulate General in Dallas, Texas, USA, for her work restoring a World War II prisoner of war camp in Castro County, Texas, USA.

Name frequency

Based upon U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there were about 21,140 people with the surname Vick in the U.S. in 2007. Vicks comprised about .007 percent of the U.S. population. According to the website Behind the Name Vick is ranked 2,511 out of 162,253 surnames in the U.S.

Using the German Telekom's telephone extensions from the year 1995, Dr. Rita Heuser of Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat Mainz estimated there were 1,702 actual bearers of the Vick surname in Germany, or about .002 percent of the German population.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) database says there were about 1,147 people with the surname Vick in England, Wales, and the Isle of Mann in September 2002, or about .002 percent of that population. In 1881, there were about 776.

Canadian White Pages contained 120 household listings for Vick in 2007. At 2.8 members per household, there would have been about 336 surnamed Vicks in Canada, or about .001 percent of the Canadian population.

The Australian White Pages had 107 listings for Vick in 2007. Using 2.8 members per household, that would equate to about 300 Vicks, or about .001 percent of the population in Australia.

In New Zealand there were 13 Vicks in the White Pages. At 2.8 members per household there would be about 36 Vicks, or less than .001 percent of the population of New Zealand.

There were 11 telephone listings for the surname Vick in Spain in June 2009, according to dynastree. The estimated number of people with the Vick surname was 12.

The website dynastree showed Switzerland had five telephone listings for Vick in June 2009, and an estimated 13 people named Vick.

There was one Vick household listed in the White Pages in South Africa.

Geogen, a surname mapping website, found only one Vick household in Austria.

Distribution of the name

According to the National Trust, in 1881 the largest concentration of people in the U.K. with the Vick surname was in Gloucestershire. The next largest concentrations were in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The 1891 England and Wales census shows 35 percent of VICKs lived in Gloucestershire, 12 percent lived in Hampshire, and 9 percent lived in London.

U.S. Census records for 1880 show people with the Vick surname were most concentrated in the following states (percent of total Vicks in the U.S.): North Carolina (21 percent), Tennessee (10 percent), Texas (9 percent), and Kentucky (8 percent).

Based upon telephone listings the Vick surname is most concentrated today in the following states (percent of Vicks in the U.S.):

North Carolina (12 percent),
Texas (12 percent),
California (6 percent),
Alabama (5 percent),
and Virginia (4 percent).

In Germany the greatest frequency of Vick is in the north in the area between Hamburg and Schwerin shows the following concentration of Vicks in Germany based upon directory entries:

Harburg (80)
Hamburg (44)
Luneburg (37)
Bad Doberan (25)
Ludwigslust (23)
Rostock (16)
Herzogtum Lauenburg (15)
Schwerin (14)
Parchim (12)
Lubeck (12)

The 1911 Census of Canada lists 147 people with the surname VICK. Of those, 74 (50 percent) lived in Ontario, 24 (16 percent) lived in British Columbia, and 22 (15 percent) lived in Saskatchewan.

Data

Lilley, H. T., A History of Standish Gloucestershire, (Portsmouth; Charpentier Ltd; 1932)

The Journal of Gloucestershire Family History Society, Issues 1 to present. Gloucestershire Family History Society

Beatty, John D., CG®, The Vick Genealogy: The Study of a Southern American Family in White and Black, (Tabor City; Joseph Vick Family of America, 2023). ISBN 979-8-9864804-0-4

Perrin, James M., Reverend Newit Vick Founder of Vicksburg, Mississippi, (Hammond; The Author, 1990)

Phelps, Dorothy Cole and Phelps, Henry Vick, II, Nitta Yuma King Cotton by Mrs. Henry Vick Phelps (Dorothy Cole) and Henry Vick Phelps II (The Authors, 1974)

Vick Family Newsletter, Volumes I-XXXIV. The Joseph Vick Family of America

DNA

The Vick Y-DNA Surname Project has identified nine major Vick clans in eight haplogroups. These clans trace their ancestry to England, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and in the U.S. to Virginia, and Alabama.

The descendants of Lutke Vicke (born February 21, 1669, in Eyendorf , Germany) are haplogroup G-P303
The descendants of John George Vick (born July 17, 1846, in Germany are haplogroup R-M343. According to the 1900 U.S. Census of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, U.S., he came to the U.S. in 1856. It would be interesting to know if the descendants of John (Johann) Vick, who immigrated to New Berlin, Waukesha, Wisconsin, U.S., from Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1882 (according to the 1900 U.S. Census of Waukesha Co., Wisconsin, U.S.), share the same haplogroup as the descendants of John George Vick.
The descendants of Elihu Vick (born about 1759 in Standish, Gloucestershire, England) are haplogroup R-M269. Some of Elihu's descendants live in Utah, U.S., and Saskatchewan, Canada. At least one English Vick who traces his patrilineal ancestry Sussex also matches Elihu Vick's Y-DNA signature. This suggests shared patrilineal ancestry with the Vicks in Gloucestershire. There is another Vick family in Saskatchewan that descends from Ebenezer John Vick, born about 1826, in Gloucestershire, England. Ebenezer John Vick may have been a descendant of Elihu. The Joseph Vick, born in 1813 in Gloucestershire, England, and who moved to Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in 1842 may also have been a descendant of Elihu. Y-DNA testing of a paternal line male Vick descendant of Ebenezer John Vick and Joseph Vick could help resolve the question as to whether they are descendants of Elihu.
The descendants of James Vick (born about 1785 in England and lived in Portsmouth, England) are haplogroup R-M269. The descendants of Charles J. Vick (born July 1826 in Sub Deanery, Chichester, Sussex, England, and who moved to Rochester, NY, about 1841) may share a recent common patrilineal ancestor with the descendants of James. Y-DNA testing of a paternal line male VICK descendant of Charles could help resolve this question.
The descendants of Jonas Jonason Vik (born January 23, 1841, in Trondheim, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway, are haplogroup I-M170. It would be interesting to see if the descendants of George Pierson VICK (born 29 Sep 1859 in Norway and died 22 Aug 1925 in Salt Lake City, Utah) are in the same clan as Jonas Jonason Vik or Neil Vik. George's father was Jorgen. Likewise, it would be interesting to see if the VIK/VICK families in Winneshiek, Iowa, U.S., share a recent common patrilineal ancestor with the other Norwegian families that have adopted the VICK surname.
The descendants of Neil Vik (born about 1910 in Norway and immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1920s) are haplogroup I-M223.
The descendants of Hans Peter Vick (born January 21, 1842, in Kelby Sogn, Praesto Amt, Denmark) are haplogroup R-U106.
The descendants of Joseph Vick of Isle of Wight County, Virginia (born about 1640-1650), are haplogroup Q-FGC6995. The birthplace of Joseph is unproven but believed to be in England. Dr. Stephen Oppenheimer of Oxford University examined Joseph Vick's Y-DNA signature and said Joseph's ancestors were "most likely in northern Norway and ultimately from Asia." Similar Y-DNA signatures have been found in Shetland and Orkney. Joseph had at least five sons. The patrilineal descendants of four of Joseph's five sons can be distinguished by the following changes: Richard Y40422, John FT152364, Robert Y44561, and Joseph Y92541. The descendants of Joseph's fifth son, William, can be identified by process of elimination as they will not have any of the changes unique to the other four sons. Two African American men have are also descendants of Joseph as one is positive for Y40422 and the other is positive for FT152364.
Finally, the descendants of Cicero Vick (born December 15, 1909 in Alabama), are haplogroup E-M2. Cicero was no doubt the descendant of an African slave.

In October 2023, the Vick Y-DNA Surname Project had 84 male members. Eighty-one were born in America, two were born in England, and one was born in Canada.