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

Nicole, 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 Nicole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicole in America

Nicole is the 45959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicole surname appeared 464 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Nicole.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicole 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 Nicole

The surname Nicole originated from France in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which means "victorious people." The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 11th century in Normandy, where it was spelled Nicol or Nichole.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest. The name was listed as Nicol, referring to landowners who had migrated from Normandy.

During the 13th century, the name gained popularity in various regions of France, including Brittany and Burgundy. It was often associated with individuals from noble or aristocratic backgrounds, such as Nicole de Blois (1263-1322), a French noblewoman and countess of Nevers.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in historical records in the Low Countries, particularly in the region of Flanders. One notable figure from this period was Nicole Oresme (c. 1320-1382), a French philosopher, mathematician, and Bishop of Lisieux.

In the 15th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including Italy and Germany. In Italy, it was sometimes rendered as Niccolò, as in the case of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), the famous Italian Renaissance political philosopher, historian, and writer.

During the 16th century, the name was found in various parts of France, including the regions of Normandy, Burgundy, and Picardy. One notable individual from this period was Nicole Gilles (c. 1520-1584), a French chronicler and historian known for his work on the history of France.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be used in various parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany. One notable figure from this period was Nicole Steno (1638-1686), a Danish Catholic bishop and pioneer in the field of stratigraphy and paleontology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicole

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

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

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

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