This surname is a pet-form of the personal name Richard, a compound of the Germanic elements "ric" meaning power plus "hard", meaning hardy, brave or strong. The name Richard was popularised in England by the Normans. The surnames Dick and Dickie which is its diminutive form are both particularly associated with Scotland. The forms Dickie and Dicky are also found in Northern Ireland. The surname Dickie had already emerged in Scotland by the early 16th Century (see below). One David Dickie was burgess of Montrose in 1627. On August 6th 1667 James Dickie married Janet Campbell at Edinburgh. A famous Dickie was George Dickie who is mentioned in the Dictionary of National Biography. He was a botanist and published work on the flowers of East Scotland. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert Dikky, which was dated 1504, The Book of Protocols, during the reign of King James 1V of Scotland, 1488 - 1513. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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