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

Nickerson, 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 Nickerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nickerson in America

Nickerson is the 2283rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nickerson surname appeared 15,970 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Nickerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nickerson 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 Nickerson

The surname Nickerson is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English personal name "Nicolson," a diminutive form of "Nicolas," which itself comes from the Greek name "Nikolaos," meaning "victorious people."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a census-like record from 1273, which mentions a "William Nicholson." Furthermore, the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327 include a reference to a "John Nicholson," indicating the widespread use of the name in that region during the medieval period.

In the 15th century, the surname began to take on various spellings, such as "Nicholson," "Nicholsonn," and "Nicholsonne," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions at the time. One notable bearer of the name was John Nicholson, a yeoman from Norfolk who lived around 1430.

As the name spread across England, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the village of Nickerson in Lincolnshire is believed to have derived its name from a landowner or prominent resident with the surname Nickerson in the 16th or 17th century.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the Nickerson surname are:

1. William Nickerson (c. 1604-1679), one of the earliest English settlers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, who arrived in the 1630s and established a family lineage that continues to this day.

2. Sir Nathaniel Nickerson (1683-1758), a British naval officer and Member of Parliament for Peterborough, known for his service in the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession.

3. Mary Nickerson (1776-1858), an American painter and author from Massachusetts, renowned for her portraits and her book "Reminiscences of New England Life."

4. Edward Nickerson (1807-1888), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Dramatic College and the Church of St. Saviour in Paddington.

5. Abraham Nickerson (1834-1916), an American businessman and philanthropist from Chicago, who founded the Nickerson Seed Company and donated funds for the construction of several educational institutions.

While the Nickerson surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nickerson

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

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

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

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