NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcnicholl

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Niocal".

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Mcnicholl surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, up from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington, Liverpool and Peterborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcnicholl is 222 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 141.9%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1999

222 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcnicholl had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 86 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcnicholl surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcnicholl surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcnicholl surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcnicholl over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 57 #23,092
1861 historical 30 #30,188
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 57 #27,846
1911 historical 77 #25,106
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 205 #17,850
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 211 #17,376
2002 modern 213 #17,603
2003 modern 195 #18,411
2004 modern 187 #18,993
2005 modern 193 #18,572
2006 modern 195 #18,564
2007 modern 197 #18,669
2008 modern 197 #18,818
2009 modern 194 #19,398
2010 modern 198 #19,577
2011 modern 194 #19,662
2012 modern 196 #19,463
2013 modern 204 #19,276
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 209 #19,018
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

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Where Mcnicholls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington, Liverpool, Peterborough, Halton and Whisky Isles. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire
2 Liverpool 056 Liverpool
3 Peterborough 009 Peterborough
4 Halton 016 Halton
5 Whisky Isles Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcnicholl

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcnicholl surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcnicholl

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcnicholl, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcnicholl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcnicholl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcnicholl is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcnicholl is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcnicholl falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcnicholl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcnicholl, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcnicholl

The surname McNicholl has its origins in Scotland. The name is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Nicail" or "son of the son of Nicail". Nicail itself is a personal name that can be traced back to the pre-Christian era in Scotland.

The McNicholl name is first recorded in the 13th century in the county of Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. Historical records show the name was prominent in this region, particularly on the Isle of Islay and the Kintyre peninsula.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is from the 1296 Ragman Rolls, which lists people who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as "Maknicol de Lanric" from the area now known as Larnach in Argyll.

In the 15th century, the McNicholls were a branch of the powerful Clan Donald, one of the largest Scottish clans. The McNicholl chiefs held lands on the Isle of Islay and were vassals of the Lords of the Isles.

A notable figure from this time was Nicol McNicholl, born around 1420, who was a supporter of the MacDonald Lord of the Isles during the feuds with the Scottish Crown. He fought at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411 against the Duke of Albany.

Another prominent McNicholl was Sir John McNicholl of Portree, born in 1580, who was knighted by King James VI of Scotland for his services during the Islay Rebellion against the Clan Donald South in 1614.

In the 17th century, some McNicholls migrated to Ulster in Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster. This branch anglicized their name to McNichol or McNicholl.

William McNicholl, born in 1690 in Islay, was a noted theologian and minister of the Church of Scotland. He published several influential works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.

As the McNicholl clan spread across Scotland and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, including McNicoll, McNickle, McNicol, and Nicholson. However, the core derivation from the ancient Gaelic personal name Nicail remained consistent throughout its long history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcnicholl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcnicholl surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 2 Mcnicholls recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.37x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2 10.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George Hanover in Middlesex leads with 2 Mcnicholls recorded in 1881 and an index of 800.00x.

Place Total Index
St George Hanover 2 800.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcnicholl surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Arabella 1
Catherine 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcnicholl households.

Occupation Count
None 1
Nurse 1

FAQ

Mcnicholl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcnicholl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Mcnicholl surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcnicholl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Mcnicholl a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Mcnicholl surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name "Niocal".

What does the Mcnicholl map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcnicholl bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.