Nicholas is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, Germany, England. It is 8 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Nicholas
No. of characters: 8
Origin: Ireland, Germany, England
Meaning:

The surname Nicholas is the variant form of the Nicholls. The son of Nichol meaning "people's victory".

Descendant of Nicholas meaning "people's victory".

Surname is the form of the Nickell. Descendant of Nickel meaning "people's victory".

A variant form of the Nicholl. "The origin of the ancient family of Nicholl, written at various periods Nychol, Nicol, Nicoll, Nicholls, and Nicholl, has been by antiquaries variously and largely treated on. It is stated that in the time of Edward the Confessor, one Nicholas de Albini, alias Nigell or Nicholl, came over from Normandy, and was the common ancestor of the Nicholl family. In county of Chester, Robert Fitz-Nigell flourished soon after the Conquest." B.L.G.

The filial Fitz-Nichol was not unusual after the Conquest, and in some instances it became hereditary, as in the descendants of Robert Fitz-Harding, etc.

Although the majority of families called Nicholl, etc., doubtlessly derive their surname from the personal name Nicholas, it is quite likely that some obtain it from the city of Lincoln, which was denominated Nichole by the Normans. "To the last," says Sir French Palgrave, "the Normans never could learn to say Lincoln; they never, could get nearer than Nincol or Nicole." Even the Earls of Lincoln styled themselves Contes de Nichole.

The family name Nicholas is a form of the Nicol. The patriarch of the Nicols, Macnicols, and Nicolsons, was Mackrycul or Gregall, lord of Assint, county of Sutherland, who flourished in the XII. century. The clan Nicail is believed to be of Gaelic origin.

How popular is Nicholas?

Nicholas is common in United States, Nigeria, England, Australia, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Canada, Wales, Ghana, Sudan, South Africa, Malawi, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica, India, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Tanzania, Indonesia, Scotland, France, Guyana, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Grenada, United States Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Botswana, Philippines, Bahrain.

Nicholas is ranked 5797 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Nicholas bearers increased by 4.86 per cent in 2010 US census to 27922 since 2000, the surname slipped by 53 spots and ranked at 1258. The last name was found in around 9 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 73.29 76.56
Black 17.12 16.1
Hispanic or Latino 4.24 2.7
Others 2.4 2.14
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.73 1.39
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 1.22 1.12
Nicholas is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Dominica is ahead in terms of density. Around 97364 people have been found who wears Nicholas as their family name. Nicholas is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Nicholas:
1,269 United States34,820
1,584 Nigeria10,822
755 England10,280
Countries with thousands of Nicholas:
561 Australia6,821
1,421 Kenya4,097
845 Sri Lanka3,581
2,023 Canada2,679
110 Wales2,648
1,368 Ghana2,632
2,042 Sudan2,520
3,422 South Africa2,027
1,687 Malawi1,568
426 New Zealand1,564
135 Trinidad and Tobago1,489
2,243 Malaysia1,182
601 Papua New Guinea1,022
Countries with hundreds of Nicholas:
472 Jamaica907
48,187 India639
71 Saint Lucia447
36 Dominica436
38 Antigua and Barbuda407
247 Belize334
14,708 Tanzania319
36,229 Indonesia306
2,185 Scotland293
36,019 France286
493 Guyana286
10,697 Zimbabwe214
2,386 Ireland188
1,674 Northern Ireland170
140 Grenada162
111 United States Virgin Islands139
3,650 Dominican Republic131
43,658 DR Congo130
3,768 Botswana116
83,691 Philippines107
2,472 Bahrain103
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
117,076 Thailand100
24,732 Spain96
66,883 Germany84
10 Cook Islands82
496 Barbados80
1,111 Puerto Rico75
31,082 Uganda68
6,894 Liberia53
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
2,325 Cyprus43
3,699 Panama41
462 Seychelles41
49,659 Netherlands31
2,474 China30
33,260 Austria29
170,033 Brazil29
14,967 Kuwait29
228 Northern Mariana Islands28
12,265 Portugal28
342 Saint Kitts and Nevis27
57,125 Cameroon25
23,411 Norway25
41,967 Pakistan23
767 Guernsey22
66,013 Greece21
268,198 Russia21
11,611 Singapore21
220 British Virgin Islands20
35,486 Sweden20
21,940 Denmark19
36,405 Switzerland16
29,787 Zambia16
572 Cayman Islands14
2,098 Guam12
3,500 Hong Kong12
10,588 Solomon Islands11
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
2,599 Iceland10
1,511 Aruba9
975 Myanmar9
32,607 Saudi Arabia9
40,289 United Arab Emirates8
47,869 Japan7
55,922 Qatar6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

John Nicholas worked as farmer and hailed from Great Britain. During the great famine, 25 years old embarked for USA from Liverpool on Colonist and arrived on October 19, 1848. Mary Nicholas, aged 18, Mary Nicholas (21) Workwoman, 32 years old William Nicholas, Esther Nicholas (13) Immigrant, Susanna Nicholas, aged 24, Sarah Nicholas, aged 23, Lydia Nicholas, aged 22, 21 years old Jane Nicholas, and 8 other Nicholas around 55.56% of whom were workman migrated to US from Liverpool, London and Penzance.

From Italy

Giuseppe Nicholas was 24 years old when he migrated to Braidwood on October 26, 1887 with Laborer Marietta Nicholas. He lived in Italy where he worked as laborer and took Westernland from Antwerp.

From Germany

Carl Nicholas was 9 months old when he migrated to New York on November 23, 1857. He lived in Dratow, Germany and took Louis Napoleon from Hamburg. Laborer Wilhelm Nicholas, Farmer Stephan Nicholas, 25 years old V. Nicholas, Marie Nicholas, aged 19, Marie Nicholas, Proper Nicholas (30) Laborer, G.N. Nicholas (39) Farmer, 36 years old Mary Nicholas, and 16 other Nicholas around 46.67% of whom were laborer while others worked as farmer migrated to US from Bremen, Havre and Liverpool & Queenstown.

Nicholas Namesakes

  • Saint Nicholas, ; }}
  • Barry Nicholas, British legal scholar
  • Edward Nicholas, English office holder and politician
  • Ben Nicholas, Australian actor
  • Abraham Nicholas, served as mayor of Williamsburg
  • Marcus Nicholas, Saint Lucian politician
  • Jemima Nicholas, Welsh heroine during the 1797 Battle of Fishguard
  • Adrian Nicholas, British skydiver who completed more than 8
  • Saint Nicholas, ; }}
  • Samuel Nicholas, first officer commissioned
  • Grant Nicholas, Welsh musician
  • Wilson Cary Nicholas, American politician
  • Joanne Nicholas, female badminton player from the United Kingdom
  • Thomas Ian Nicholas, American film actor, singer, musician, producer
  • Fayard Nicholas, American choreographer, dancer and actor
  • Harold Nicholas, American dancer specializing in tap
  • Henry James Nicholas, New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Nick St. Nicholas, Nick St
  • Alison Nicholas, English professional golfer
  • Cindy Nicholas, long distance swimmer and a politician in Ontario
  • Mark Nicholas, English cricket commentator and former player
  • Charlie Nicholas, Scottish former professional footballer
  • Sandra Lovelace Nicholas, Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Canadian senator representing New Brunswick
  • Fred Nicholas, English first-class cricketer
  • Charles Nicholas, pseudonymous house name of three early creators of American comic books for the Fox Feature Syndicate and Fox Comics
  • Paul Nicholas, English actor and singer
  • Denise Nicholas, American actress and social activist
  • Robert C. Nicholas, United States Senator from Louisiana
  • Andrew Nicholas, English footballer
  • Isabel Nicholas, British painter
  • Johnny Nicholas, American blues musician
  • Ryan Nicholas, Australian-born Japanese rugby union player
  • Stephen Nicholas, former American football linebacker
  • Glynn Nicholas, Australian actor, comedy performer, director
  • Drew Nicholas, American retired professional basketball player

Nicholas Namesakes

  • Saint Nicholas, ; }}
  • Barry Nicholas, British legal scholar
  • Edward Nicholas, English office holder and politician
  • Ben Nicholas, Australian actor
  • Abraham Nicholas, served as mayor of Williamsburg
  • Marcus Nicholas, Saint Lucian politician
  • Jemima Nicholas, Welsh heroine during the 1797 Battle of Fishguard
  • Adrian Nicholas, British skydiver who completed more than 8
  • Saint Nicholas, ; }}
  • Samuel Nicholas, first officer commissioned
  • Grant Nicholas, Welsh musician
  • Wilson Cary Nicholas, American politician
  • Joanne Nicholas, female badminton player from the United Kingdom
  • Thomas Ian Nicholas, American film actor, singer, musician, producer
  • Fayard Nicholas, American choreographer, dancer and actor
  • Harold Nicholas, American dancer specializing in tap
  • Henry James Nicholas, New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Nick St. Nicholas, Nick St
  • Alison Nicholas, English professional golfer
  • Cindy Nicholas, long distance swimmer and a politician in Ontario
  • Mark Nicholas, English cricket commentator and former player
  • Charlie Nicholas, Scottish former professional footballer
  • Sandra Lovelace Nicholas, Wolastoqiyik or Maliseet Canadian senator representing New Brunswick
  • Fred Nicholas, English first-class cricketer
  • Charles Nicholas, pseudonymous house name of three early creators of American comic books for the Fox Feature Syndicate and Fox Comics
  • Paul Nicholas, English actor and singer
  • Denise Nicholas, American actress and social activist
  • Robert C. Nicholas, United States Senator from Louisiana
  • Andrew Nicholas, English footballer
  • Isabel Nicholas, British painter
  • Johnny Nicholas, American blues musician
  • Ryan Nicholas, Australian-born Japanese rugby union player
  • Stephen Nicholas, former American football linebacker
  • Glynn Nicholas, Australian actor, comedy performer, director
  • Drew Nicholas, American retired professional basketball player

Related Family Names: