Robert Hickman

(male) One of the many French names of Germanic origin that were introduced into Britain by the Normans; it has since remained in continuous use. It is derived from the nearly synonymous elements hrōd ‘fame’ + berht ‘bright, famous’, and had a native Old English predecessor of similar form (Hreodbeorht), which was supplanted by the Norman name. Two dukes of Normandy in the 11th century bore the name: the father of William the Conqueror (sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil), and his eldest son. It was borne also by three kings of Scotland, notably Robert the Bruce (1274–1329), who freed Scotland from English domination. The altered short form Bob is very common, but Hob and Dob, which were common in the Middle Ages and gave rise to surnames, are extinct. See also Rupert.

English (chiefly West Midlands): occupational name denoting the servant (Middle English man) of a man called Hick. According to Reaney and Wilson, Hickman was also used as a medieval personal name. This surname has long been established in Ireland, notably in County Clare. In the U.S., it could be an altered spelling of German Hickmann, a variant of Hick 4.