2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nicoulin
A French surname perhaps derived from a diminutive form of Nicole, a feminine given name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Nicoulin. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nicoulin 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.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Nicoulin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoulin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nicoulin
The surname Nicoulin originates from France and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "niculin," which referred to a small, round loaf of bread. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to a baker or someone associated with the baking trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Armorial Général de France, a registry of French nobility compiled in the late 17th century. It mentions a family with the surname Nicoulin residing in the region of Normandy.
Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Nicollin, Nicolin, and Nicoullin. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized spelling at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Jacques Nicoulin (1525-1592) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Lyon. He was known for his successful trading ventures and his influence in local affairs.
Another individual of note was Marie Nicoulin (1670-1745), a renowned French artist and portraitist who gained recognition for her exquisite paintings of the French aristocracy during the reign of Louis XIV.
The name also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe. In the 18th century, a German family with the surname Nicoulin settled in the city of Hamburg, where they established a successful trading company.
One of the more recent individuals bearing the name was Pierre Nicoulin (1876-1946), a French philosopher and academic who taught at the University of Paris. He was widely respected for his contributions to the fields of metaphysics and epistemology.
Another notable figure was the Swiss architect and engineer, Henri Nicoulin (1898-1972), who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and bridges in Switzerland during the mid-20th century.
While the surname Nicoulin is not among the most common in modern times, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and multiple countries, reflecting the diverse roots and experiences of those who have carried this distinctive name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nicoulin
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoulin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Nicoulin 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 Nicoulin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 96
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nicoulin
Nicoulin 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-12 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,833 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 20,833 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,537 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 Nicoulin 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 | #150,452 | #152,989 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 105 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nicoulin bearers went from 109 to 105 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,537 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,989.
FAQ
Nicoulin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nicoulin?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Nicoulin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Nicoulin?
Nicoulin ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Nicoulin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Nicoulin.
Has Nicoulin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nicoulin went from 109 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Nicoulin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nicoulin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Nicoulin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nicoulin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Nicoulin (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 Nicoulin mean?
A French surname perhaps derived from a diminutive form of Nicole, a feminine given name. 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 Nicoulin (0.04 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 have the last name Nicoulin?
Want to know how many people are called Nicoulin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.