Find out how popular the last name McNichols is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McNichols.

McNichols, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McNichols surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McNichols in America

McNichols is the 13855th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McNichols surname appeared 2,181 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McNichols.

We can also compare 2010 data for McNichols to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McNichols

The surname McNichols originated in Scotland, derived from the Gaelic name 'MacNeachdain' or 'MacNeachdainn', meaning 'son of the neachdan'. The neachdan was a renowned clan in Argyllshire during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name was 'MacNachtan' in the 12th century. It evolved into various forms such as 'MacNocaird', 'MacNocharten', 'MacNaughtane', and 'McNachten' before settling on the modern spelling of McNichols.

The McNichols clan was initially based in the Cowal peninsula of Argyllshire, but later branches spread to the Hebrides, Galloway, and other parts of Scotland. The name is also found in Irish records, likely due to migration between the two neighboring regions.

In the 16th century, an influential member of the clan was Sir John McNachten, who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld from 1522 to 1537. He played a significant role in the turbulent religious and political affairs of Scotland during the Scottish Reformation.

Another notable figure was Sir Archibald McNachtan, a distinguished soldier who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War in the 17th century. He was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.

In the 18th century, Dugald McNichol (1718-1794) was a prominent Scottish poet and songwriter from Argyllshire, known for his contributions to the literary tradition of his native region.

The McNichols name also gained recognition in the United States, with John McNichols (1837-1900) serving as a Union soldier during the American Civil War and later becoming a respected lawyer and judge in Ohio.

Another notable figure was James McNichols (1834-1917), an Irish-American businessman who co-founded the McNichols Company, a successful construction firm responsible for numerous iconic buildings and infrastructure projects in Chicago and the Midwest.

These examples illustrate the rich history and geographical spread of the McNichols surname, originating from a respected Scottish clan and leaving its mark across various fields and regions over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McNichols

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McNichols.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McNichols was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McNichols has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McNichols was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McNichols, please contact us.

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