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

Nicoloff, 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 Nicoloff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nicoloff in America

Nicoloff is the 54178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nicoloff surname appeared 381 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 Nicoloff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nicoloff 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 Nicoloff

The surname Nicoloff has its origins in Eastern Europe, primarily in the Slavic regions of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. It is derived from the given name Nikola, a diminutive form of the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people." The suffix "-off" or "-ov" is a common patronymic ending in Slavic surnames, indicating "son of."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Nicoloff surname can be found in the Bulgarian Tarnovo Inscription, dating back to the 14th century. This inscription, carved in stone, lists various officials and noblemen from the Second Bulgarian Empire, including individuals with the surname Nicoloff or its variant spellings.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the Nicoloff surname was Vasil Nicoloff, a Bulgarian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the resistance against Ottoman rule. He was known for his strategic leadership and bravery during the turbulent years of the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans.

The Nicoloff name also appears in historical records from the 16th century, such as the Ottoman tax registers (defters) from the regions of modern-day Serbia and Macedonia. These documents provide insight into the distribution of the surname and its variations across different localities.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure known as Georgi Nicoloff emerged as a respected scholar and educator in the Bulgarian National Revival movement. He established schools and contributed to the preservation of Bulgarian language and culture during the Ottoman occupation.

Another notable individual with the Nicoloff surname was Ivan Nicoloff, a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the founders of the Internal Revolutionary Organization. He played a crucial role in the struggle for Bulgarian independence from Ottoman rule and is celebrated as a national hero.

During the 20th century, the Nicoloff surname gained recognition in the arts and sciences. One prominent figure was Panayot Nicoloff, a Bulgarian painter and sculptor known for his symbolic and expressionist works, who lived from 1888 to 1964.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the Nicoloff surname who have left their mark on history, but the name has a rich and diverse heritage spanning centuries and encompassing various regions of Eastern Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nicoloff

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

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

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

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