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

Nicholls, 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 Nicholls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicholls in America

Nicholls is the 6010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicholls surname appeared 5,722 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 Nicholls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicholls 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 Nicholls

The surname Nicholls originated in England, with roots that can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Nicholas, which itself has Greek origins meaning "victory of the people."

In ancient records, the name appears with various spellings, such as Nicholls, Nichols, Nicholl, and Nicol, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time. The earliest known record of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Nicholaus.

During the medieval period, the name Nicholls was particularly prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. It is believed to have originated from several place names, such as Nycholl's Green in Buckinghamshire and Nicholl's Farm in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nicholls was Sir John Nicholls (c. 1490-1556), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Richard Nicholls (c. 1610-1672), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Cheam in Surrey.

In the 17th century, the name gained recognition through Sir Edward Nicholls (1619-1699), a distinguished lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. During the same period, John Nicholls (1630-1677) made his mark as a prominent mathematician and served as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Moving into the 18th century, we find the influential figure of William Nicholls (1664-1712), an English theologian and Bishop of Carlisle. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the Church of England.

Throughout history, the Nicholls surname has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including academics, clergymen, lawyers, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicholls

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

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

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

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