NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicholas

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people."

In the 1881 census there were 5,834 people recorded with the Nicholas surname, ranking it #755 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,434, ranked #683, up from #755 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicholas is 9,729 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.7%.

1881 census count

5,834

Ranked #755

Modern count

9,434

2016, ranked #683

Peak year

2010

9,729 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nicholas had 5,834 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #755 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,434 in 2016, ranked #683.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,170 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Nicholas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicholas surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Nicholas 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 4,797 #580
1861 historical 5,565 #495
1881 historical 5,834 #755
1891 historical 6,796 #672
1901 historical 7,342 #739
1911 historical 8,170 #612
1997 modern 9,331 #672
1998 modern 9,600 #681
1999 modern 9,627 #684
2000 modern 9,646 #679
2001 modern 9,374 #683
2002 modern 9,556 #686
2003 modern 9,441 #677
2004 modern 9,422 #677
2005 modern 9,256 #678
2006 modern 9,218 #677
2007 modern 9,294 #677
2008 modern 9,355 #678
2009 modern 9,583 #675
2010 modern 9,729 #683
2011 modern 9,589 #686
2012 modern 9,463 #676
2013 modern 9,619 #679
2014 modern 9,627 #682
2015 modern 9,500 #683
2016 modern 9,434 #683

Geography

Back to top

Where Nicholas' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Sennen. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 Sennen Cornwall
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 067 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 069 Cornwall
3 Pembrokeshire 007 Pembrokeshire
4 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
5 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Nicholas

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Nicholas

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nicholas, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Nicholas surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Nicholas household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nicholas 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

Nicholas 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

Nicholas falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nicholas 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 Nicholas, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Nicholas

The surname NICHOLAS has its origins in ancient Greece, derived from the Greek name "Nikolaos" which means "victory of the people". It first emerged as a surname in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

The surname NICHOLAS can be traced back to areas of Normandy in northern France, where it was likely adopted as a surname by individuals who had been given the personal name Nikolaos. It then spread to England with the Norman invaders in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NICHOLAS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists a landowner named "Nicholaus" in Oxfordshire.

In the 12th century, the surname NICHOLAS appeared in various medieval records across England, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1166 which mention a "Nicholaus de Winton" in Hampshire.

The surname NICHOLAS has seen various spellings over the centuries, including Nicholls, Nichols, and Nicol, likely due to regional variations and phonetic translations.

Notable historical figures with the surname NICHOLAS include:

1. Sir Edward Nicholas (1593-1669), a prominent English statesman who served as Secretary of State under King Charles I and Charles II.

2. John Nicholas (1610-1688), an English mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of calculus.

3. Thomas Nicholas (1608-1672), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

4. William Nicholas (1497-1551), a Welsh clergyman and scholar who played a key role in the Protestant Reformation in Wales.

5. George Nicholas (1754-1799), a prominent American jurist and statesman from Virginia, who served as a delegate to the Virginia Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution.

The surname NICHOLAS has been widely distributed across various regions and communities, reflecting its long history and diverse origins dating back to medieval times.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Nicholas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nicholas 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. Glamorgan leads with 699 Nicholas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.04x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 699 7.04x
Cornwall 673 10.42x
Pembrokeshire 628 34.64x
Middlesex 388 0.68x
Monmouthshire 348 8.44x
Lancashire 287 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 235 9.77x
Surrey 214 0.77x
Gloucestershire 204 1.82x
Hampshire 173 1.48x
Somerset 158 1.72x
Shropshire 135 2.74x
Cambridgeshire 131 3.63x
Wiltshire 121 2.40x
Cheshire 120 0.95x
Devon 104 0.88x
Essex 93 0.83x
Warwickshire 93 0.65x
Worcestershire 90 1.21x
Herefordshire 83 3.55x
Kent 83 0.43x
Staffordshire 77 0.40x
Yorkshire 77 0.14x
Sussex 71 0.74x
Norfolk 65 0.74x
Brecknockshire 56 4.91x
Cardiganshire 50 3.59x
Durham 41 0.24x
Denbighshire 38 1.76x
Montgomeryshire 31 2.37x
Cumberland 29 0.59x
Northamptonshire 28 0.52x
Northumberland 25 0.29x
Suffolk 23 0.33x
Dorset 21 0.56x
Hertfordshire 21 0.53x
Channel Islands 12 0.71x
Royal Navy 12 1.77x
Lincolnshire 11 0.12x
Radnorshire 10 2.17x
Berkshire 9 0.21x
Lanarkshire 8 0.04x
Leicestershire 8 0.13x
Midlothian 8 0.10x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.09x
Stirlingshire 7 0.33x
Merionethshire 6 0.57x
Kincardineshire 5 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.12x
Flintshire 4 0.26x
Oxfordshire 4 0.11x
Wigtownshire 4 0.53x
Derbyshire 3 0.03x
Perthshire 3 0.12x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.09x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.13x
Renfrewshire 2 0.05x
Anglesey 1 0.10x
Angus 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Just In Penwith in Cornwall leads with 110 Nicholas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 87.78x.

Place Total Index
St Just In Penwith 110 87.78x
Merthyr Tydfil 80 8.38x
Sennen 72 504.56x
Ystradyfodwg 65 7.46x
Llanelly 54 9.97x
Madron Penzance 54 22.99x
Aberdare 51 7.48x
Birmingham 50 1.04x
Downham 49 127.64x
St Erth 49 125.22x
Portsea 43 1.88x
West Ham 42 1.69x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 41 3.89x
Stoke Damerel 41 4.93x
Liverpool 40 0.97x
Downton 38 57.56x
St Pancras London 36 0.78x
St Woollos 35 7.60x
Swansea Town 35 4.30x
Camborne 33 12.40x
Illogan 32 18.71x
Mynyddyslwyn 32 19.67x
Neath 32 15.83x
Nevern 32 124.42x
West Looe 32 188.12x
Carmarthen St Peter 31 15.08x
Llanguick 31 17.42x
Camberwell 29 0.80x
Islington London 29 0.52x
Pembroke St Mary 29 12.42x
Littleport 28 40.56x
Sithney 28 42.91x
Dalton In Furness 27 10.33x
Hammersmith London 27 1.92x
Monmouth 27 24.69x
Whitchurch 26 48.40x
Bedwellty 25 3.43x
Cardiff St Mary 25 4.57x
Newport 25 85.06x
Bedwas 24 80.27x
Bromley London 24 1.91x
Paddington London 24 1.14x
Eglwysilan 23 13.34x
Fawley 23 62.03x
Llangattock 23 24.76x
Ruabon 23 7.76x
Bristol St George 22 4.25x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 22 13.96x
St George Hanover 22 2.95x
West Derby 22 1.11x
Chelsea London 21 1.22x
Ludgvan 21 40.80x
St Dogmells 21 43.60x
Steynton 21 35.84x
Wanstrow 21 326.09x
Aberystruth 20 5.50x
Caldicot 20 73.10x
Cheshunt 20 14.55x
Lambeth 20 0.40x
Llanfyrnach 20 101.83x
Ludlow St Lawrence 20 20.40x
Margam 20 18.05x
St Davids 20 48.74x
Toxteth Park 20 0.87x
Hackney London 19 0.59x
Ventnor 19 17.08x
Brighton 18 0.93x
Claines 18 8.80x
Kelsall 18 144.23x
Llandingat 18 32.94x
Millom 18 11.96x
Roath 18 3.99x
Battersea 17 0.81x
Briton Ferry 17 14.34x
Cwmdu 17 14.05x
Madron 17 32.58x
Calstock 16 12.63x
Clase 16 4.33x
Devizes St James 16 23.87x
Morvil 16 573.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 473
Elizabeth 278
Sarah 194
Ann 120
Margaret 111
Jane 101
Eliza 92
Martha 79
Ellen 77
Annie 75
Emma 64
Emily 59
Hannah 58
Alice 56
Anne 49
Maria 41
Catherine 37
Harriet 36
Charlotte 33
Edith 27
Frances 26
Fanny 23
Susan 23
Caroline 22
Esther 21
Louisa 21
Agnes 19
Amelia 19
Ada 18
Clara 18
Rose 18
Florence 17
Elizth. 16
Julia 16
Rachel 16
Anna 13
Amy 12
Eleanor 12
Kate 12
Lucy 11
Minnie 11
Rebecca 11
Bessie 10
Ethel 10
Laura 10
Sophia 10
Susannah 10
Jessie 9
Phebe 9
Janet 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 397
William 392
Thomas 226
James 189
George 136
Charles 114
David 98
Henry 82
Richard 81
Alfred 59
Edward 55
Joseph 49
Arthur 42
Albert 36
Benjamin 32
Samuel 31
Walter 31
Edwin 29
Frederick 27
Daniel 25
Francis 24
Harry 24
Robert 22
Herbert 17
Wm. 17
Frank 15
Ernest 14
Philip 12
Stephen 12
Evan 10
Lewis 10
Thos. 10
Isaac 9
Matthew 9
Nicholas 9
Rees 9
Tom 9
Geo. 8
Morgan 8
Joshua 7
Martin 7
Sydney 7
Elijah 6
Morris 6
Oliver 6
Sidney 6
Trew 6
Fred 5
Michael 5
Phillip 5

FAQ

Nicholas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nicholas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,834 people were recorded with the Nicholas surname. That placed it at #755 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nicholas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,434 in 2016. That gives Nicholas a modern rank of #683.

What does the Nicholas surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Nicholas, meaning "victory of the people."

What does the Nicholas map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Nicholas 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.