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

Nuckolls, 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 Nuckolls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nuckolls in America

Nuckolls is the 18242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nuckolls surname appeared 1,524 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nuckolls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nuckolls 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 Nuckolls

The surname Nuckolls is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "nicol," which means "son of Nicholas." This suggests that the name Nuckolls initially referred to the descendants of someone named Nicholas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Nichol," which was likely a precursor to the modern spelling of Nuckolls.

During the Middle Ages, the name Nuckolls was predominantly concentrated in the southern and central regions of England, particularly in counties such as Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from place names like Noak Hill or Noke, which were common in these areas.

In the 16th century, the name began to appear in various spellings, including Nuckols, Nuckles, and Nuckolls. One notable historical figure from this period was William Nuckols (c. 1550-1624), a wealthy landowner and merchant from Gloucestershire.

As the years progressed, the name Nuckolls started to spread beyond England's borders. In the 17th century, several individuals bearing this surname were among the early settlers in the British colonies of North America. One such individual was Robert Nuckolls (c. 1620-1680), who arrived in Virginia in the 1640s and became a prominent tobacco planter.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Nuckolls (1726-1796), a military officer and surveyor from Virginia who served in the American Revolutionary War. He played a crucial role in establishing the boundary between Virginia and Pennsylvania, known as the Mason-Dixon Line.

In the 19th century, the name Nuckolls gained recognition through individuals like James Nuckolls (1805-1879), a political figure who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Missouri from 1857 to 1861.

As the name Nuckolls continued to spread across various regions, it underwent further variations in spelling, including Nuckles, Nuckols, and Nuckles. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nuckolls

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

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

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

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