Nicholson Surname

3,631st
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 154,803 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
United States
Highest density in:
Norfolk Island

Nicholson Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Nicholas,' from Nichol or Nicol, the nick.; v. Nicholas. Nichol always held a fair place in popular favour, as our directories of to-day amply prove. But Collin (which see) was probably the greater favourite.

Read More About This Surname

Nicholson Surname Distribution Map

By incidenceBy frequencyBy rank
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States75,1451:4,823536
England34,6141:1,610183
Australia14,0061:1,927248
Canada12,0901:3,048386
Scotland3,5261:1,518274
South Africa2,9831:18,1622,290
New Zealand2,7481:1,648202
Jamaica2,3031:1,246220
Ireland1,2301:3,828660
Wales6611:4,682509
Northern Ireland5481:3,367660
Guyana4561:1,672298
Saudi Arabia4371:70,60810,708
France3441:193,08930,043
Belize3261:1,090255
Spain2641:177,09112,552
Trinidad and Tobago2571:5,307849
Thailand2371:298,05251,367
Argentina2351:181,88715,219
Germany1981:406,59337,350
Panama1601:24,4521,522
Netherlands1301:129,90120,177
India1051:7,305,385159,213
Zimbabwe871:177,45121,452
Liberia801:55,1074,868
Brazil771:2,780,18682,572
Singapore771:71,5292,869
Slovakia751:71,15313,810
Venezuela551:549,16510,134
United States Virgin Islands531:2,083353
Cayman Islands511:1,253164
Japan501:2,556,88631,037
Sweden501:196,93513,646
Costa Rica491:97,5521,684
Denmark491:115,19810,655
Kuwait481:79,1819,331
Antigua and Barbuda471:2,110344
Isle of Man461:1,866352
Nigeria411:4,320,555118,938
Philippines401:2,530,956131,537
Norway381:135,32317,347
Portugal381:274,16410,086
Mexico371:3,354,76224,142
Cyprus361:24,5802,764
Namibia331:73,0127,607
Aruba321:3,234449
Suriname321:17,2694,028
Guernsey291:2,222539
Switzerland281:293,31823,433
Papua New Guinea271:301,99040,635
Russia261:5,543,194237,148
Indonesia241:5,510,383253,014
Jersey241:4,133843
Malaysia241:1,228,92653,021
United Arab Emirates231:398,36023,003
Belgium191:605,08754,956
Ecuador191:837,15013,424
Barbados181:15,969956
Hong Kong171:431,4993,260
Grenada161:6,783683
Iraq161:2,188,85319,343
Peru161:1,986,50825,077
Israel151:570,50941,023
Nicaragua111:547,3723,850
Poland111:3,455,341126,214
Bermuda101:6,5281,005
Chile101:1,761,64727,489
Italy91:6,795,188113,457
Bahamas81:48,969812
China81:170,915,1968,932
Czechia81:1,329,18491,312
Estonia81:165,22626,217
Guam81:20,0153,029
Puerto Rico81:443,7673,219
Greece71:1,582,82788,377
Norfolk Island61:38264
Pakistan61:29,773,98192,487
Qatar61:393,00055,922
Vietnam61:15,441,0093,090
Armenia41:732,54511,666
Bahrain41:337,1526,054
Botswana41:546,73222,624
Kazakhstan41:4,420,624134,293
Saint Lucia41:44,6952,207
Sierra Leone41:1,772,408958
Taiwan41:5,861,18633,577
Austria31:2,838,47893,604
Serbia31:2,381,64930,913
South Korea31:17,080,0852,793
Sudan31:12,503,39814,123
Afghanistan21:16,076,59243,178
Algeria21:19,315,77697,017
Belarus21:4,750,530139,516
Ghana21:13,510,34623,679
Guatemala21:8,041,3349,698
Honduras21:4,408,2217,709
Lebanon21:2,818,54225,087
Montserrat21:2,474299
Romania21:10,038,93580,612
Togo21:3,623,88411,997
Andorra11:83,8382,381
Angola11:26,989,21411,853
Azerbaijan11:9,649,12247,873
Bangladesh11:159,356,77326,077
Benin11:10,335,602103,742
Bolivia11:10,616,43417,077
British Virgin Islands11:31,5941,029
Bulgaria11:6,978,90586,260
Cambodia11:15,487,14614,824
Chad11:13,592,19913,092
Colombia11:47,774,07244,230
Croatia11:4,228,60499,289
Dominican Republic11:10,432,93236,508
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
East Timor11:1,215,928507
Egypt11:91,935,754132,737
Ethiopia11:97,546,26229,669
Faroe Islands11:48,9982,049
Finland11:5,496,70284,025
Georgia11:3,745,54547,852
Gibraltar11:33,9541,660
Haiti11:10,683,90724,607
Hungary11:9,816,27773,288
Iceland11:380,09011,096
Iran11:76,782,524277,718
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kenya11:46,179,900103,372
Laos11:6,588,3231,961
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
Malta11:430,2723,380
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Moldova11:3,561,36878,271
Monaco11:37,0664,748
Morocco11:34,476,099111,471
Niue11:1,614145
Rwanda11:11,364,9785,947
Saint Kitts and Nevis11:55,1991,294
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines11:112,6591,704
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Tanzania11:52,941,613123,716
Tonga11:107,313791
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
Uganda11:39,039,279258,887
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Uzbekistan11:30,929,14267,786
Vanuatu11:263,2762,086
Zambia11:15,849,92253,989
Show All Nations
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland1,2941:3,423624
Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ARank (high to low)Rank (low to high)
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England18,8451:1,293157
Scotland2,3621:1,585291
Wales1231:12,751766
Jersey211:2,471410
Isle of Man161:3,392374
Guernsey61:5,443949
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States10,5221:4,773591

Nicholson (1,464) may also be a first name.

Nicholson Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Nicholas,' from Nichol or Nicol, the nick.; v. Nicholas. Nichol always held a fair place in popular favour, as our directories of to-day amply prove. But Collin (which see) was probably the greater favourite.

William fil. Nicoll, Salop, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John Nicole, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Stephen Nichole, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Alicia Nicholmayden and Robertus Nichol-man (i.e. the servant of Nichol), 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Nichol Gurdelere, Close Rolls, 21 Edward III. pt.

John Niccolson, temp. Elizabeth: Calendar of Pleadings, temp. Elizabeth I.

1562. Baptised — Joane Nichollsonne: St Peter, Cornhill.

1575. Thomas Nicolls, Middlesex: Register of the University of Oxford.

Nycall Spyght, 1602: Nicolson and Burn, History Westm. and Cumb.

1687. James Nickleson and Ann Goodman: Marriage Alleg. (Canterbury).

1707. Married — Robert Nicholls and Elizabeth Moye: St. Antholin (London).

— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

'son of Nic(h)ol,' q v. Maucolum fiz Nicol rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, 816). William Nicholai (Latin genitive) or Nycholayi was burgess of Glasgow 1419-21 (LCD., p. 241), Gilbert Nicholai was vicar of Auferde (Alford) in 1435 (REB., II, 52), and Patrick Nicholai, presbyter of Brechin, 1436, appears in 1448 as Patrik Nicholsone, perpetual chaplain of Caldhame (ibid., I, 82,106). Michael Nycholson leased pert of Parcy (Persie), 1443, and Gylbryd Nycholay in 1446 (Cupar-Angus, I, p. 120,128), Matthew Nicholay, witness in Aberdeen, 1489 (REA., II, p. 303), and John Nicholsoun was burgess of Dumfries, 1544 (Anderson). Ailleis Neclasson had remission in 1547 for his share in taking and holding the Casde of Akirgill, Caithness (OPS., II, p. 778), and Mallie Niclasson is recorded in the Boigis, 1663 (Caithness). The Nicolsons of Lasswade are an old family, knighted in seventeenth century. Sir William Nicolson (d. 1766), four times married, was father of twenty-three children. The Nicholsons of Skye have Englished their name from Macnicol, which see. Necolson 1474, Nicollsoun 1624, Nucolsone 1655, Nycholsoun 1483.

— The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

Nichol’s Son, v.Nichol(l.

— Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

Nichol’s Son, v.Nichol(l).

— Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) The son of Nichol (people's victory).

— Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

The son of Nicholas. Most families of this name trace to the counties of Northumberland and Cumberland. It is not improbable that they are descended from the great Anglo-Norman family of Fitz-Nigell or Nicholl. See Nicholl.

— Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

Contracted from MacNichol, 'Nicholas's Son'. It was formerly a common name in the Isle of Man, but has now almost disappeared.

— Manx Names (1890) by Arthur William Moore

From the Swedish, Nicolausson; from the Danish, Nikelsen; a personal name.$

— British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Nicholson. —With few exceptions confined to the northern half of England, being most frequent in Cumberland and Northumberland, and afterwards in Durham and in the adjacent parts of Yorkshire. It is noticeable that Nixon, a contraction of this name, is also restricted to the northern half of England, being most numerous in Cheshire and Northumberland. From the north of England the Nicholsons and Nicolsons have extended into the Scottish border counties, especially into Dumfriesshire.

— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (1890) by Henry Brougham Guppy

User-submitted Reference

Nicholson is a compound surname featuring two ethnic roots.

Nich- is the feminine equivalent of mac in Scottish Gaelic, therefore the surname means 'daughter of Olson'.

Olson includes the -son suffix, referring to one's paternal lineage, meaning 'Ol's son'.

Stringing these together we get the meaning 'daughter of Ol's son'.

- sigune

(English + Scottish + Greek) The son of the people's victory. Nicholas deriving from the Greek name Nikolaos; meaning people's victory.

- dinn315
DNA test information
Display Statistics on:

Nicholson Demographics

Average Male Nicholson Height

176.7 cm

Average male height (US):
175.3 cm
Sample size: 1,374 (2014)

Average Female Nicholson Height

163.8 cm

Average female height (US):
161.5 cm
Sample size: 208 (2014)

Sample is predominantly from Anglosphere countries

View the tallest/shortest surnames in the world

Nicholson Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Nicholson Come From? nationality or country of origin

The surname Nicholson is most common in The United States. It may also be rendered as a variant:. Click here for other potential spellings of this name.

How Common Is The Last Name Nicholson? popularity and diffusion

It is the 3,631st most commonly held family name at a global level, borne by around 1 in 47,076 people. The surname Nicholson occurs predominantly in The Americas, where 58 percent of Nicholson are found; 55 percent are found in North America and 55 percent are found in Anglo-North America. It is also the 203,630th most numerous first name world-wide. It is borne by 1,464 people.

The last name Nicholson is most numerous in The United States, where it is held by 75,145 people, or 1 in 4,823. In The United States it is primarily concentrated in: California, where 8 percent live, Texas, where 7 percent live and Florida, where 5 percent live. Outside of The United States this last name is found in 147 countries. It is also common in England, where 22 percent live and Australia, where 9 percent live.

Nicholson Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The occurrence of Nicholson has changed through the years. In The United States the share of the population with the surname grew 714 percent between 1880 and 2014; in England it grew 184 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it grew 149 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Ireland it declined 5 percent between 1901 and 2014 and in Wales it grew 537 percent between 1881 and 2014.

Nicholson Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those bearing the surname is principally Catholic (50%) in Ireland and Evangelical (50%) in Lebanon.

In The United States those holding the Nicholson surname are 9.98% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than The US average, with 56.75% being registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Nicholson earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 3.67% more than the national average, earning 358,796 kr per year; in Peru they earn 154.67% more than the national average, earning S/. 49,367 per year; in South Africa they earn 43.61% more than the national average, earning R 341,268 per year; in United States they earn 1.49% less than the national average, earning $42,508 USD per year and in Canada they earn 0.59% more than the national average, earning $49,976 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

Incidence (high to low)Incidence (low to high)Alphabetic A-ZAlphabetic Z-ASimilarity (high to low)Similarity (low to high)Prevalent jurisdiction A-ZPrevalent jurisdiction Z-A
SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Nicholeson9511/
Nicholsson959/
Nichollson957/
Nicholsonn953/
Nichoolson952/
Nicholsonc952/
Nichohlson952/
Nischolson951/
Nichoslson951/
Nicholsonq951/
Nichoelson950/
Nnicholson950/
Nicolson949,373/
Nicholsonne906/
Nichohlsson901/
Nicholsen89285/
Nichalson8998/
Nicholzon8922/
Nicholsan8915/
Nicoleson897/
Nicholsom896/
Necholson893/
Nihcolson893/
Nisholson891/
Nicolsson891/
Nicollson891/
Nicoilson891/
Nicholsun891/
Nichulson890/
Nicohlson890/
Nicoulson890/
Nicholsonová863/
Nicholsonova861/
Nicolesson840/
Nichuleson840/
Nicolsen8230/
Nicalson828/
Nicolsan826/
Nicollsen782/
Nicaleson782/
Necoleson781/
Nichalsen780/
Nechalson780/
Nicholsshane761/
Nizolsan710/
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Nicholson Reference & Research

Nicholson FamilyTree DNA Group - A group collating DNA test results for those who bear the surname, includes results of DNA tests and discussions.

Nicholson FamilyTree DNA Project - A description of a group researching the paternal lines of men who bear the surname with the help of DNA analysis.

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Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Nicholson
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis