
Irish Surname - Hickey
The origin of the surname Hickey was in County Clare, in the province of Munster, which is situated on the west coast of Ireland.
The original form of the name Hickey comes from the Anglicisation of the Gaelic word Óhicidhe, which means a 'physician' or 'healer.' The Hickey surname arose because of the position of Hickey's family as hereditary physicians to the royal family of O'Brien.
In time, the name spread to Limerick and Tipperary and today, it is dominant in both counties.
Hickey Distribution in the 1850s
Use of the Hickey surname increased in the 19th century. For instance, Thomas and Maurice Hickey came to Chicago in the 1850s from Lough Gur as laborers.
The Lough Gur Hickeys were found in Knockainy parish in early 1800s. They included Ellen and Thomas Hickey, their family lived in a small house with a thatched roof by Lough Gur. Some of the families who had their children baptised in Knockainy parish in early 1800s included; John Hickey and Anne Donovan, Mary Hickey and James O'Neill Hickey, Mary Slattery and John Hickey, Ellen Sherwin, and Maurice Hickey, among other families.
Some of the families that occupied Knockrough town land included; Martin Ahern, John Ahern, John McGrath, Thomas Glyn and Thomas Hickey.
Alternate Surname Spellings for Hickey
The Hickey surname has different spelling variations, including Hickie, O'Hickey, O'Hickie, and Hickey.
Famous People with the Hickey Surname
- Father Michael Patrick O'Hickey (1860-1916) was a champion of the Irish language and professor of Irish at Maynooth College, now part of the National University of Ireland.
- Another famous distinguished Hickey was Anthony Hickey, a Franciscan professor. He was a famous theology lecturer at Leuven or Louvain, Belgium, and wrote 'Commentarii in Lib. IV Sententiarum' and 'Nitela franciscanae Religions', among other books.
- The famous sculptor, John Hickey, and his brother Thomas Hickey, a painter, were also some of the champions of the Hickey surname.
The Hickey Family Crest
The Hickey family crests or Coat of Arms has different colours and symbols with different meanings. Blue colour represents truth and loyalty, ermine is associated with crowns and robes of noble and royal personages, and gold or yellow represents generosity.
The lion represents the emblem of deathless courage, while the chief symbol represents wisdom, dominion, authority, and achievement in battle.
The Hickey family Motto
"Honor virtutis premium" - "esteem is the reward of virtue"
Please Note
There is often limited information available on a specific coat of arms and motto for an Irish surname. Sometimes there are many variations, sometimes none, we have compiled a representative, but by no means exhaustive, selection. Please visit our Coat of Arms and Motto page for more information.
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