About us
The Vicary/Vickery Surname Project welcomes all participants. Surnames included in this project are Vickery, Vicary, Vickrey, and Vickers, as well as alternate spellings including Vacherie, Vicarey, Vicari, Vicaris, Vicars, Viccari, Viccars, Viccary, Vicery, Vickary, Vicker, Vickers, Vickory, Vickroy, Victory, Vicory, Vicrey, Vicroy, Vikery, Vikory, Vikrey, and Vikroy. Vickery is the most common spelling in use today. We encourage Vickery descendants of all spellings to join today!
The Vickery surname is one of many European or Latin-inspired surnames introduced to the British Isles following the Norman Conquest. The Vickery and Vicary spellings appear to be derivations of the words, "le vicarius" (Latin: the vicar). "Le Vicare", used as a surname, was first documented in the year 1228, at Exeter, Devon, England, in the following record: "In Exeter, in the 12th year of Henry I, Walter de Wynemaneston remitted and quit-claimed a messuage in Tavistok to Robert le Vicare and his heirs". In 1332, there were a dozen persons of the "Vicary" surname in Tudor Devon. In the 16th century, the principal seat of the "Vicare" family was at Dunkeswell, Devon, near the Dunkeswell Abbey founded by William Lord Brewere in 1201. By the 17th century, a branch of the Devon "Vicare" family had established itself in Worcestershire, as well. The surname was likewise recorded in both Somerset and London. The first recorded usage of "Vikere" near London was that Jordan Vikere, tenant of Navestock (Essex), listed in "The Domesday of St. Paul's of the Year 1222". In 20th century England, the Vickery surname was most commonly found in Devon, Somerset, Middlesex (London), followed by Gloucestershire and Glamorgan. Worldwide, the largest populations with Vickery surname today are found in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. In addition, the Vickery surname may be found in small numbers in many other countries worldwide.
In contrast, the Vickers surname evolved from the earlier "Viccars" spelling recorded anciently in Durham, England. In 20th century England, the Vickers surname was most commonly found in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire, followed by Durham, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Worldwide, the Vickers surname is most commonly found in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
The Vickery surname and alternate spellings have been researched in the past by Ian Vicary, as part of the Vicary/Vickery One-Name Study. Learn more about this research by visiting the Vicary/Vickery One-Name Study website at the following link:
https://one-name.org/name_profile/vicary/
New members may join FTDNA Vickery Surname Project by purchasing a Y-DNA test. Y-DNA is inheritable through one's direct paternal line from one's father and his father, and on back in time for generations on the paternal line. Only male persons may purchase a Y-DNA test. In order to join Vickery Surname Project, new members should have one of the surnames shown in the list above. If there is a Vicary, Vickery, or other variant-spelling in your direct male line, you are welcome to participate. If you are female, please find a Vickery paternal-line male in your family tree to participate and represent your tree on the Vickery Y-DNA Results Chart. In addition, all persons with a Vickery lineage anywhere in their family tree may join on autosomal DNA results (FTDNA Family Finder test).
We encourage males to order a Y-DNA test for 67, 111, or 700 markers. If you order fewer markers, you may upgrade later, though this costs a little more. The Big Y 700 test provides results for 700 STR markers with SNP results included. It is the highest level Y-DNA test available and was developed as the gold-standard paternal-line test for FTDNA surname projects. We encourage all previously-tested members to consider an upgrade to Big Y 700 from their current 37, 67 or 111-marker test.
Your participation is an opportunity to uncover information not provided in the paper records, which may further your research of your family tree. As the project progresses, the results for the various family trees will provide information on the evolution of the surname.