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

Nickles, 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 Nickles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nickles in America

Nickles is the 7205th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nickles surname appeared 4,634 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 Nickles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nickles 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 Nickles

The surname Nickles originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "niccol," which was a diminutive form of the name Nicholas. This name was brought to England by the Normans after the conquest in 1066.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there are several entries of individuals with the name Nicol or Nichole, which are variations of the name Nicholas. These early spellings likely evolved into the surname Nickles over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nickles can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William Nickles. Another early mention is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, listing a John Nickles.

During the 16th century, the surname Nickles was found in various parts of England, including Essex, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. Some notable individuals with the name include John Nickles (c. 1510-1580), a merchant from London, and Edward Nickles (1568-1634), a landowner in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, the name Nickles appeared in several parish records across England. For example, the baptism of Thomas Nickles was recorded in St. Andrew's Church, Hertford, in 1628. Another notable figure from this period was Richard Nickles (1637-1703), a wealthy landowner in Oxfordshire.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Nickles continued to be found in various parts of England, with several individuals bearing the name achieving prominence. One notable example is William Nickles (1745-1812), a member of the British Parliament who represented the borough of Maldon in Essex.

As the Nickles family spread across England over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, including Nickels, Nickolls, and Nicholls. However, the original spelling of Nickles remained prevalent in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nickles

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

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

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

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