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

Niccolai, 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 Niccolai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niccolai in America

Niccolai is the 86981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niccolai surname appeared 214 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Niccolai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niccolai 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 Niccolai

The surname Niccolai is of Italian origin, derived from the given name Niccolò, an Italian form of the name Nicholas. The name Nicholas itself is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which means "victory of the people."

The Niccolai surname can be traced back to the medieval period in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. It is believed to have originated as a patronymic surname, meaning it was initially used to identify someone as the son of a man named Niccolò.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Niccolai surname dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in historical records from the city of Florence. In 1260, a document mentioned a certain Niccolò di Bartolomeo Niccolai, a merchant and landowner from a prominent Florentine family.

The Niccolai family played a significant role in the political and economic life of Florence during the Renaissance period. Notable members included Filippo Niccolai (1510-1583), a writer and philosopher, and Pietro Niccolai (1480-1551), a renowned humanist scholar and diplomat.

In the 15th century, the Niccolai surname also appeared in records from the city of Bologna, where a branch of the family settled. One prominent figure from this lineage was Giovanni Niccolai (1430-1501), a celebrated jurist and professor of law at the University of Bologna.

Over the centuries, the Niccolai surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including:

1. Giambattista Niccolini (1782-1861), an Italian playwright and poet from Florence.
2. Giuseppe Niccolai (1856-1924), an Italian painter and sculptor from Livorno.
3. Giovanni Battista Niccolai (1573-1642), an Italian painter and architect from San Marino.
4. Niccolò Niccolai (1782-1833), an Italian writer and literary critic from Florence.
5. Giovanni Battista Niccolini (1825-1898), an Italian politician and statesman from Tuscany.

While the Niccolai surname originated in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and historical heritage of medieval and Renaissance Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niccolai

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

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 Niccolai 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 Niccolai 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 Niccolai was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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