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

Nikolay, 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 Nikolay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nikolay in America

Nikolay is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nikolay surname appeared 131 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 Nikolay.

The history of the last name Nikolay

The surname NIKOLAY originated in Russia and parts of Eastern Europe. It is derived from the Russian given name Nikolay, which itself comes from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people." This name was quite popular during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods in Russia and other Slavic regions.

NIKOLAY is believed to have first appeared as a surname around the 15th or 16th century in areas of modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents and church records from this time period in cities like Moscow, Novgorod, and Kiev.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname NIKOLAY was Ivan Nikolayevich Nikolay, a Russian explorer and cartographer who lived from approximately 1510 to 1580. He is credited with mapping large portions of Siberia and the Russian Far East during his expeditions in the mid-16th century.

Another notable figure was Andrey Ivanovich Nikolay, a Russian military leader and statesman who lived from 1672 to 1745. He served as a general under Peter the Great and played a significant role in the Great Northern War against Sweden.

In the realm of literature, one of the most famous bearers of the NIKOLAY surname was Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852), a renowned Russian novelist, dramatist, and satirist. His works, such as "Dead Souls" and "The Overcoat," are considered classics of Russian literature.

During the 19th century, the NIKOLAY surname also gained prominence in the field of science. One notable example is Nikolay Ivanovich Lobachevsky (1792-1856), a pioneering Russian mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of non-Euclidean geometry.

Another scientist of note was Nikolay Nikolayevich Semenov (1896-1986), a Russian chemist and Nobel laureate in Chemistry in 1956. He was recognized for his groundbreaking work on the mechanisms of chemical reactions, particularly in the field of chain reactions.

While the surname NIKOLAY has its roots in Russia and Eastern Europe, over time it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the rich historical and cultural traditions of the Slavic regions, where it has been a prominent surname for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nikolay

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

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 Nikolay 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.

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

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

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