The surname "Pickett" is a very ancient one, its roots going back nearly 900 years. It is somewhat unusual in that it is unrelated to any occupation, but is rather patronymic, coming from the personal name of the father of the original bearer. "Pickett" thus literally signifies "The son of [or the descendant of] Picket". The personal name itself is a variant of "Picot", itself a diminutive of the Old French personal name "Pic", introduced to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066.
That "Picot" was a personal name is verified by the Domesday Book of twenty years later, in which one "Picot" appears as a chief tenant in Hampshire. The same reference identifies a "Picot de Grentebrig". It is also interesting to note that two families in Cheshire, the "Pigots" and the "Pichots", lived side by side for generations, and both are believed to spring from the one common ancestor, "Gilbert Pichot", Lord of Braxton [Earwaker's East Cheshire, ii, 361].
Another early reference to the name is a "Robert filius Picot" in the Red Book of the Exchequer for Yorkshire in 1186. The "filius" here, meaning "son of" again testifies to the surname's patronymic origins. There is a "Walter Piket" in the Berkshire Pipe Rolls of 1177, while a "Godfrey Piket" appears as a resident of Somerset in the Court Rolls of Edward III.
Today in England the surname is chiefly associated with Wiltshire. As
we shall see, it was also among the first names to become established in
the New World
FROM: http://genforum.genealogy.com/cgi-bin/pageload.cgi?Hanover::pickett::829.html
Posted by: K. Lund Date: December 09, 1999 at 13:20:06
of 2837
I have been asked by several persons to post this. These two stories come from my great Aunt's research files and she copied them from library books but failed to note the titles...I can hear the sighs already...but, here it is. Maybe someone out there has seen this before and can say who first published it: ''PIGOTT: Traditionally, this English family is said to be an off-shoot from the ancient family of PICOT, long established in the north of France. Indeed old records spell the name as PICOT, PICHOT and PIGOT, stating that two families of the name were established in England just after the Norman Conquest in 1066, they both claimed a common Norman ancestry. One family was established in the shire of Cambridge, but its lands were confiscated for rebellion during the reign of William Rufus (1087-1100). The other family was settled on the borders of Wales in Cheshire. From this family are descended many PIGOTT families who claim to be of Welsh ancestry. Toward the end of the 15th century, Richard Pigot of Cheshire married the daughter and heiress of Sir Richard Peshale and obtained the fine estate of Chetwynd in Shropshire. This estate was held by the PIGOTTS for 12 generations but was sold by Robert Pigott about 1776. This gentleman became so alarmed at the gloomy aspects of the national affairs, caused by the Revolutionary War in America, that he was convinced that England would be ruined. Selling his ancient heritage, he sought refuge first in Switzerland and then in France, where he died in 1794. The spelling of the name PIGOTT was adopted by Robert Pigott of Chetwynd, who was Sheriff of Shropshire in 1517...This is the name from which the name Pickett originated."
Then, from Colonial Families of the Southern States of America by S. P. Hardy "The Picketts of Fauquier Co Virginia are descended from an ancient family of French origin. Juste when the ancestor of the American branch of the family left France is uncertain. One branch of this distinguished old family went into England with William the Conqueror, and one of this line was the first great bridge builder to the King. The arms as borne by this brace old Norman, Picot, are the same as borne by the Picketts of America down to the present time. Another branch of the family remained in France until after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, when they took refuge in England ; and yet another branch of the family remained in France. It is not positively known from which of the first two branches of the family the Fauquier Picketts are descended, but the progenitor of the family was of French origin and came to the Colonies from England ; but is generally accepted that they were of the Huguenot line. The name was originally PICQUETT, but in England became PICOT, and later when the family came to America; PickettE, Pickett and PICKET; but the old French spelling ''Picquett'' was frequently used as late as 1781. The accepted tradition is that three brothers came to the Colonies in the 17th century, that they were Huguenots; that one settled in New England one in Virginia, and the third in one of the Carolina's. The records show that one Nicholas Pickett, located at Marblehead, MA. about the year 1650; and that one George Pickett was living in Westmoreland Co VA in 1690; and that one --- Pickette received large grants from King George in New Hanover Co NC..."
From: http://genforum.genealogy.com/pickett/messages/1634.html
Are you sure your ancestor was James (H) Pickett? My ggg-grandfather Aventon Pickett had a brother by the name of James Martin Pickett, (born approx. 1809 who reportedly married someone by name of Tabitha.) Regarding the early Pickett emigrations, check out the web-site for Palatines of America: http://www.genealogy.org:80/~palam/ia_index.htm Under the letter "P" you'll find: Pickett, John, Thomas, Caleb 1666 from England I also understand many French Huguenot ships arrived in Virginia in about 1700 and at least my branch of the Pickett family were supposedly French Huguenots (name probably originally spelled Piquot.) My first known ancestor was Ralph Picket (one T) on 1790 Census Records in Rowan Co NC. I have information about various other Picketts/Piggotts who moved from New England to NC in early 1700s. E-mail me for more details.