2000
#5,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,344
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.98
Rare Last name
Nicholls
An English patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,594 Americans carry the last name Nicholls. That puts it at #5,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,980 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nicholls 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 Nicholls with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,980
Census rank
#5,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,750 bearers of the surname Nicholls in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicholls, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nicholls
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicholls, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nicholls 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 Nicholls surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.8% · 4,646
- Black or African American8.5% · 491
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 355
- Two or more races3.4% · 196
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nicholls
Nicholls 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
#6,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,722
+378 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 79 places
2020
#5,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,750
+28 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.92
Rank movement Up 209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,931 | 5,344 | 1.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,010 | 5,722 | 1.94 | +378 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 79 places |
| 2020 | #5,801 | 5,750 | 1.92 | +28 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 209 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 Nicholls 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 | #6,010 | #5,801 | 3.5% |
| Count | 5,722 | 5,750 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.94 | 1.92 | -0.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nicholls bearers went from 5,722 to 5,750 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 209 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,010 to #5,801.
FAQ
Nicholls surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nicholls?
Name Census estimates that about 6,594 living Americans carry the surname Nicholls. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,980 residents.
How common is Nicholls?
Nicholls ranks #5,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,750 people with the surname Nicholls. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,594), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nicholls.
Has Nicholls become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nicholls went from 5,722 recorded bearers to 5,750. That is an increase of 28 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,010 to #5,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Nicholls?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicholls, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.5%) and Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Nicholls in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (4,646 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nicholls appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.8%), Black (8.5%), Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Nicholls (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 Nicholls mean?
An English patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people." 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 Nicholls (1.92 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 share the surname Nicholls?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.