2000
#6,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,850
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Nicol
A Scottish and northern English topographic surname derived from the shortened form of the given name Nicholas.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,630 Americans carry the last name Nicol. That puts it at #6,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,880 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nicol surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nicol with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 60,880
Census rank
#6,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,910 bearers of the surname Nicol in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicol, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nicol
The surname NICOL originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the medieval personal name Nigel, which comes from the Latin name Nigellus, meaning "little black one" or "dark-complexioned." The name was brought to Britain by the Normans after the conquest of England in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name NICOL can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Nicol" and "Nichol" in various entries throughout the document.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name NICOL was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders regions. It was often associated with landowners and individuals of some prominence. For example, Sir William Nicol (c. 1280 - 1340) was a Scottish knight and landowner who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
In the 15th century, the name NICOL was also found in other parts of Scotland, such as Aberdeenshire and Fife. One notable bearer of the name was Alexander Nicol (c. 1430 - 1493), a Scottish clergyman who served as the Bishop of Galloway from 1484 until his death.
As the name spread across Scotland, various spellings and variations emerged, including Nichol, Nicholl, Nicholson, and Nicolson. Some of these variations were derived from place names, such as Nicholston (now Neilston) in Renfrewshire.
Other notable individuals with the surname NICOL throughout history include:
1. William Nicol (1768 - 1851), a Scottish natural philosopher and inventor, best known for his invention of the Nicol prism used in polarizing light.
2. Erskine Nicol (1825 - 1904), a Scottish-born Australian artist and pioneer of the arts in Victoria, Australia.
3. John Nicol (1833 - 1894), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.
4. William Nicol (1851 - 1929), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Parliament of New South Wales.
5. John Nicol (1865 - 1921), a Scottish professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the professional game.
The surname NICOL has a rich history rooted in medieval Scotland and has been carried across the world by Scottish emigrants and their descendants over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nicol
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicol, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nicol bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nicol surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 4,236
- Black or African American4.7% · 233
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 193
- Two or more races3.6% · 178
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nicol
Nicol appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,012
+162 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 275 places
2020
#6,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,910
-102 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,454 | 4,850 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,729 | 5,012 | 1.70 | +162 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 275 places |
| 2020 | #6,618 | 4,910 | 1.64 | -102 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 111 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nicol surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,729 | #6,618 | 1.6% |
| Count | 5,012 | 4,910 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.64 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nicol bearers went from 5,012 to 4,910 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,729 to #6,618.
FAQ
Nicol surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nicol?
Name Census estimates that about 5,630 living Americans carry the surname Nicol. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,880 residents.
How common is Nicol?
Nicol ranks #6,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,910 people with the surname Nicol. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,630), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nicol.
Has Nicol become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nicol went from 5,012 recorded bearers to 4,910. That is a decrease of 102 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,729 to #6,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Nicol?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicol, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nicol in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (4,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nicol appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nicol (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nicol mean?
A Scottish and northern English topographic surname derived from the shortened form of the given name Nicholas. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nicol (1.64 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Nicol?
You can see how many people have the last name Nicol on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.