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

Nicks, 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 Nicks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicks in America

Nicks is the 8695th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicks surname appeared 3,775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nicks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicks 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 Nicks

The surname Nicks is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Middle English nickname "Nicke," which was a diminutive form of the given name Nicholas. This name ultimately traces its roots back to the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nicks can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like document compiled in 1273. Here, a certain Robertus Nicke is mentioned, likely indicating an early bearer of the surname.

Throughout the centuries, the Nicks surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Nickes, Nyx, and Nykes. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices and the evolution of language over time.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in the records of the Parish of Kildwick in Yorkshire, where a John Nicks was mentioned in 1583. Around the same time, a Richard Nicks was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1598.

One notable bearer of the Nicks surname was Sir Robert Nicks (1612-1672), an English politician who served as a member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall during the 17th century. He played a role in the English Civil War and was a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

Another historical figure was John Nicks (1838-1923), an English cricketer who played for the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. He was a right-handed batsman and a skilled wicket-keeper.

In the realm of literature, mention should be made of William Nicks (1836-1910), an English poet and journalist who wrote under the pen name "Willian Holcombe." He published several volumes of poetry, including "Lyrics and Lays" and "Verses of a Vagrom."

Across the Atlantic, one notable bearer of the Nicks surname was Elijah Nicks (1790-1865), an American farmer and politician from Tennessee. He served as a member of the Tennessee State Senate in the 1830s.

Finally, Wilbur Nicks (1901-1977) was an American baseball player who played as an outfielder in the Negro leagues during the 1920s and 1930s. He spent several seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs and was known for his defensive skills and strong throwing arm.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicks

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

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

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

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