2000
#21,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Mcnichol
Son of the nickname derived from the Gaelic personal name Niocal or Nicol (Nicholas).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,402 Americans carry the last name Mcnichol. That puts it at #21,722 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 244,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnichol surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mcnichol with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 244,475
Census rank
#21,722
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,223 bearers of the surname Mcnichol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21722nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnichol, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnichol
The surname McNichol originated in Scotland, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "Nicail" which is a shortened form of the name "Nicholas." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to the son of someone named Nicholas.
The name was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Highlands, specifically in the regions of Argyll and Bute. Some of the earliest known records of the name can be found in parish registers and court documents from these areas during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname McNichol was John McNichol, who was born in Argyll around 1620. He was mentioned in various legal documents related to land disputes in the region during the mid-17th century.
Another notable bearer of the name was Archibald McNichol, who was born in Bute in 1678. He was a merchant and landowner, and his name appeared in several business records and property deeds from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the 19th century, the surname McNichol began to spread more widely as people migrated from Scotland to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One significant figure was William McNichol, born in Glasgow in 1812, who was a prominent architect and designed several notable buildings in Scotland and England.
Another individual of note was Mary McNichol, born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1845. She was a renowned educator and founded several schools for girls in Northern Ireland during the late 19th century.
As the name spread, variations in spelling began to appear, such as McNicol, MacNichol, and McNickle. These were likely influenced by regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
Throughout history, the surname McNichol has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, architects, educators, and more. While not a particularly widespread name, it has left its mark in various regions, particularly in Scotland and Ireland, where it has its deepest roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnichol
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnichol, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnichol bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mcnichol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 1,086
- Black or African American4.0% · 49
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 37
- Two or more races3.0% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnichol
Mcnichol appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#20,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,260
+115 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Up 413 places
2020
#21,722
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,223
-37 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Down 812 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,323 | 1,145 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,910 | 1,260 | 0.43 | +115 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 413 places |
| 2020 | #21,722 | 1,223 | 0.41 | -37 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 812 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mcnichol surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20,910 | #21,722 | -3.9% |
| Count | 1,260 | 1,223 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.43 | 0.41 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnichol bearers went from 1,260 to 1,223 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 812 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,910 to #21,722.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mcnichol
FAQ
Mcnichol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnichol?
Name Census estimates that about 1,402 living Americans carry the surname Mcnichol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 244,475 residents.
How common is Mcnichol?
Mcnichol ranks #21,722 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,223 people with the surname Mcnichol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,402), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Mcnichol.
Has Mcnichol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnichol went from 1,260 recorded bearers to 1,223. That is a decrease of 37 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #20,910 to #21,722.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnichol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnichol, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mcnichol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (1,086 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnichol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (4.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mcnichol (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mcnichol mean?
Son of the nickname derived from the Gaelic personal name Niocal or Nicol (Nicholas). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mcnichol (0.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Mcnichol?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Mcnichol on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.