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

Nickel, 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 Nickel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nickel in America

Nickel is the 4291st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nickel surname appeared 8,292 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Nickel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nickel 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 Nickel

The surname Nickel is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "nickel" or "nückel," meaning "little nothing" or "small amount." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone who was considered insignificant or of little importance.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nickel can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of present-day Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heynrich Nickel, mentioned in a document from the city of Erfurt in 1292.

In the 14th century, the surname Nickel appeared in various historical records, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of documents related to the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Nickel, a merchant from Lübeck, mentioned in a 1367 document.

During the 15th century, the surname Nickel continued to spread across various German territories. One notable figure was Matthias Nickel, a clergyman and author from Nürnberg, who lived from approximately 1440 to 1508.

In the 16th century, the name Nickel gained prominence with individuals like Hans Nickel, a renowned painter from Nürnberg (1510-1582), and Martin Nickel, a German cartographer and engraver born around 1550 in Heidelberg.

As the surname spread to other parts of Europe, it also underwent variations in spelling, such as Nickell, Nickle, and Nicol. In the 17th century, the Dutch painter Hendrick Nickel (1585-1633) gained recognition for his landscape paintings.

Throughout history, the Nickel surname has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including science, literature, and politics. One prominent individual was Friedrich August Nickel (1827-1905), a German chemist and mineralogist who contributed to the study of nickel and its compounds.

Other notable bearers of the Nickel surname include Johann Christoph Nickel (1673-1735), a German composer and organist from Mühlhausen; Johann Peter Nickel (1792-1869), a German-American immigrant and author; and Wilhelm Nickel (1887-1957), a German politician and member of the Nazi Party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nickel

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

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

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

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