2000
#14,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,917
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Mcnicholas
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Nicholas", derived from the personal name Nicholas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,157 Americans carry the last name Mcnicholas. That puts it at #15,061 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mcnicholas 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 Mcnicholas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,903
Census rank
#15,061
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,881 bearers of the surname Mcnicholas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15061st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnicholas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mcnicholas
The surname MCNICHOLAS finds its origins in Ireland, with the name first appearing in historical records during the 12th century. It is a variant of the Gaelic name "Mac Niocaill", which translates to "son of the victorious one". This patronymic name was initially found in counties Cork and Kerry, where it was borne by families of Norman descent who had settled in these regions following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a 12th-century chronicle detailing events in Ireland from the 5th to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of County Cork from the late 13th century, which were administrative records maintained by the English crown.
In the 16th century, the name MCNICHOLAS was associated with the Gaelic nobility in County Cork, particularly the clan known as the Sliocht Airt Mhic Niocaill, or the "Descendants of Art McNicholas". This clan held significant influence and land holdings in the region during this period.
Notable figures in history bearing the MCNICHOLAS surname include Michael McNicholas (c. 1555-1616), a prominent Irish Catholic priest and Archbishop of Cashel during the Tudor period. Another important figure was Dominic McNicholas (1684-1747), a Franciscan friar and historian who authored several works on Irish history and genealogy.
In the 18th century, James McNicholas (1730-1802) was a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, representing County Cork. His son, John McNicholas (1762-1838), followed in his footsteps as a member of the Parliament and was also involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
The 19th century saw the birth of Patrick McNicholas (1819-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Catholic Church and various charitable organizations in Ireland and the United States, where he later emigrated.
As with many Irish names, the MCNICHOLAS surname underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including MacNicholas, McNicholls, and McNickles, reflecting the phonetic nature of Irish naming conventions and the influence of English orthography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mcnicholas
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnicholas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mcnicholas 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 Mcnicholas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 1,743
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 61
- Two or more races2.1% · 39
- Black or African American1.0% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mcnicholas
Mcnicholas 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
#15,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,925
+8 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 934 places
2020
#15,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,881
-44 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 201 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,328 | 1,917 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,262 | 1,925 | 0.65 | +8 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 934 places |
| 2020 | #15,061 | 1,881 | 0.63 | -44 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 201 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 Mcnicholas 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 | #15,262 | #15,061 | 1.3% |
| Count | 1,925 | 1,881 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.63 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mcnicholas bearers went from 1,925 to 1,881 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 201 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,262 to #15,061.
FAQ
Mcnicholas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mcnicholas?
Name Census estimates that about 2,157 living Americans carry the surname Mcnicholas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,903 residents.
How common is Mcnicholas?
Mcnicholas ranks #15,061 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,881 people with the surname Mcnicholas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mcnicholas.
Has Mcnicholas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mcnicholas went from 1,925 recorded bearers to 1,881. That is a decrease of 44 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,262 to #15,061.
What does the Census say about the background of Mcnicholas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mcnicholas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mcnicholas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,743 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mcnicholas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Mcnicholas (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 Mcnicholas mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Nicholas", derived from the personal name 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 Mcnicholas (0.63 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 Mcnicholas?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Mcnicholas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.