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

Nicholson, 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 Nicholson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicholson in America

Nicholson is the 575th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicholson surname appeared 58,151 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 20 people would have the surname Nicholson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicholson 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 Nicholson

The surname Nicholson is of English origin, derived from the personal name Nicholas and the patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of Nicholas." The name Nicholas itself is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which means "victory of the people."

Nicholson is believed to have first emerged in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Durham, during the 12th and 13th centuries. It is closely related to other English surnames such as Nichols, Nicholl, and Nicoll, which share the same root name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nicholson appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, where a certain Willelmus Nicholson is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, which lists a John Nicholson.

In the 14th century, the surname Nicholson is recorded in various parts of England, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where several individuals with this surname are listed. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with forms like Nicholsone, Nicholsoun, and Nicholeson appearing in historical records.

One notable bearer of the Nicholson surname was Sir George Nicholson (1554-1628), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of King James I.

Another prominent figure was James Nicholson (1737-1804), an English chemist and author who made significant contributions to the field of mineralogy and is considered one of the founders of modern mineralogical chemistry.

In the literary world, the name Nicholson is associated with Hubert Nicholson (1865-1941), an English poet and playwright who wrote works such as "The Bride of England" and "The Cavalier."

The 20th century saw the rise of Jack Nicholson (born 1937), the renowned American actor and filmmaker who has won three Academy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

Finally, it's worth mentioning Nicola Nicholson (born 1986), a British artist and sculptor known for her large-scale public artworks, such as the "Bridgegate" installation in Leeds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicholson

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

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

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

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