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

Nicely, 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 Nicely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicely in America

Nicely is the 6998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicely surname appeared 4,789 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Nicely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicely 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 Nicely

The surname Nicely is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "nicelice," which means "fine" or "excellent." It was initially used as a descriptive nickname, referring to someone who was considered pleasant, agreeable, or of good character.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Nicely surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Nicelai." This document was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name began to appear in various records and documents, often spelled as "Niceley," "Nicely," or "Nyceley." These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

In the late 16th century, the surname Nicely became more prevalent in the county of Gloucestershire, particularly in the village of Naunton. One notable individual from this area was John Nicely (1548-1617), a prominent landowner and farmer.

As the Nicely family spread across England, they established roots in various regions, including Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Sir Robert Nicely (1620-1685), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Nicely surname gained prominence in London, where several individuals bearing the name achieved success in various professions. One such person was William Nicely (1741-1810), a renowned clockmaker and horologist who contributed significantly to the development of precision timekeeping.

During the 19th century, the Nicely name continued to spread across the British Isles and beyond, with some members of the family emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable individual from this era was James Nicely (1832-1901), a Scottish-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the field of steam engine design.

Other notable individuals with the Nicely surname include:

1. Thomas Nicely (1795-1868), an English botanist and horticulturist who introduced several new plant species to Britain.
2. Elizabeth Nicely (1866-1941), an American educator and women's rights activist, known for her work in promoting educational opportunities for women.
3. Arthur Nicely (1901-1980), a British artist and sculptor, renowned for his abstract and modernist works.
4. Margaret Nicely (1918-2005), an American author and historian, known for her extensive research on the American Civil War.
5. David Nicely (born 1950), a Canadian mathematician and computer scientist, noted for his contributions to the study of prime numbers and computational mathematics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicely

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!