NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicholl

A Scottish surname referring to the son of Nicholas.

In the 1881 census there were 1,558 people recorded with the Nicholl surname, ranking it #2,712 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,594, ranked #3,893, down from #2,712 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bradford and Halifax. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Calderdale and Oxford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicholl is 1,725 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.3%.

1881 census count

1,558

Ranked #2,712

Modern count

1,594

2016, ranked #3,893

Peak year

1891

1,725 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nicholl had 1,558 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,712 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,594 in 2016, ranked #3,893.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,725 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Nicholl surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicholl surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nicholl 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 928 #2,978
1861 historical 1,240 #2,304
1881 historical 1,558 #2,712
1891 historical 1,725 #2,632
1901 historical 1,630 #3,171
1911 historical 1,599 #3,041
1997 modern 1,529 #3,849
1998 modern 1,548 #3,944
1999 modern 1,562 #3,943
2000 modern 1,552 #3,949
2001 modern 1,545 #3,893
2002 modern 1,573 #3,917
2003 modern 1,540 #3,906
2004 modern 1,577 #3,827
2005 modern 1,544 #3,859
2006 modern 1,525 #3,904
2007 modern 1,546 #3,883
2008 modern 1,562 #3,877
2009 modern 1,607 #3,862
2010 modern 1,631 #3,891
2011 modern 1,615 #3,888
2012 modern 1,606 #3,835
2013 modern 1,613 #3,886
2014 modern 1,616 #3,909
2015 modern 1,599 #3,903
2016 modern 1,594 #3,893

Geography

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Where Nicholls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bradford and Halifax. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Calderdale and Oxford. 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 London parishes London 2
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Calderdale 001 Calderdale
2 Calderdale 005 Calderdale
3 Calderdale 009 Calderdale
4 Calderdale 003 Calderdale
5 Oxford 002 Oxford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nicholl

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nicholl

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Nicholl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Nicholl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nicholl 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

Nicholl is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nicholl falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nicholl

The surname Nicholl originated in England and is derived from the medieval given name Nicholas, which ultimately stems from the Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people." This name was widely adopted across Europe following its spread by early Christian missionaries.

In its earliest forms, the surname appeared as Nichol, Nicol, and Nicholls in various regions of England during the late 12th century. These spelling variations likely arose due to differences in local dialects and scribes' interpretations of the name's pronunciation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1194, which mention a Radulphus Nicholaue. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also list several individuals with the surname, including Willelmus Nichol in Oxfordshire and Johannes Nicol in Cambridgeshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was particularly prevalent in northern England, especially in the counties of Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Durham. It was also found in significant numbers in Scotland, where it may have been introduced by English settlers or derived independently from the Norman French name Nicolas.

Notable individuals with the surname Nicholl include John Nicholl (c. 1555-1639), a Welsh Renaissance scholar and translator; Sir John Nicholl (1759-1838), an English judge and Member of Parliament; and John Pringle Nichol (1804-1859), a Scottish astronomer and writer.

Other historical figures bearing this surname include Richard Nicholl (c. 1528-1572), an English politician who served as Sheriff of Buckinghamshire; John Nicholl (1790-1864), an English churchman and writer; and John Bowyer Buchanan Nichols (1785-1856), a Scottish geologist and naturalist.

The surname Nicholl has also been associated with various place names throughout the British Isles, such as Nicholsons Lonnin in Northumberland and Nicholls Green in Worcestershire, further reflecting its long-standing presence in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nicholl families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nicholl 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. Yorkshire leads with 669 Nicholls recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.42x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 669 4.42x
Middlesex 166 1.09x
Lancashire 115 0.63x
Surrey 65 0.87x
Durham 58 1.28x
Cornwall 38 2.20x
Glamorgan 38 1.43x
Northumberland 38 1.67x
Essex 36 1.19x
Lanarkshire 33 0.67x
Cumberland 30 2.28x
Kent 29 0.56x
Devon 24 0.75x
Isle of Man 17 5.99x
Staffordshire 17 0.33x
Warwickshire 17 0.44x
Carmarthenshire 16 2.49x
Gloucestershire 15 0.50x
Cheshire 13 0.39x
Hampshire 12 0.38x
Worcestershire 11 0.55x
Buckinghamshire 10 1.08x
Westmorland 10 2.98x
Shropshire 9 0.68x
Somerset 9 0.37x
Angus 8 0.57x
Hertfordshire 8 0.76x
Sussex 8 0.31x
Bedfordshire 5 0.63x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.41x
Flintshire 4 0.97x
Northamptonshire 4 0.28x
Renfrewshire 4 0.34x
Wiltshire 4 0.30x
Berkshire 3 0.26x
Oxfordshire 3 0.32x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.62x
Leicestershire 2 0.12x
Norfolk 2 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.10x
Fife 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.45x
Lincolnshire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Monmouthshire 1 0.09x
Suffolk 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 158 Nicholls recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.09x.

Place Total Index
Halifax 158 71.09x
Sowerby In Halifax 111 224.24x
Warley 76 173.71x
Northowram 53 49.93x
Southowram 35 75.76x
Bowling 28 18.68x
Redruth 28 57.24x
Ovenden 26 38.59x
Skircoat 24 40.20x
Elland Cum Greetland 20 29.33x
Midgley 20 123.99x
Hackney London 18 2.10x
Islington London 17 1.15x
Onchan 17 20.80x
St Marylebone London 17 2.08x
Paddington London 16 2.85x
Horton In Bradford 15 6.35x
Darlington 14 7.98x
Camberwell 13 1.33x
Govan 13 1.06x
Hipperholme Cum 13 19.55x
Kensington London 13 1.53x
Manningham 12 6.43x
Rotherhithe 12 6.36x
West Ham 12 1.80x
Bow London 11 5.66x
Edvin Loach 11 4782.61x
Llanegwad 10 116.69x
Norland 10 96.25x
Rastrick 10 23.78x
Ravenstone 10 518.13x
Theydon Garnon 10 145.14x
Battersea 9 1.60x
Deptford St Paul 9 2.24x
Everton 9 1.56x
Low Holme 9 121.29x
Meshaw 9 1058.82x
Spotland 9 4.47x
St George Bloomsbury 9 10.27x
St Pancras London 9 0.73x
Stanwix 9 84.51x
West Derby 9 1.70x
Birmingham 8 0.62x
Bishopwearmouth 8 2.05x
Burnley 8 5.24x
Castleton 8 4.42x
Esh 8 24.19x
Llanblethian 8 211.08x
Old Monkland 8 4.08x
Wardleworth 8 7.72x
Ardwick 7 4.28x
Cheetham 7 5.18x
Kendal 7 11.39x
Pucklechurch 7 103.55x
Shrewsbury St Mary 7 13.44x
Southwick 7 16.26x
Titsey 7 578.51x
Toxteth Park 7 1.14x
Wolverhampton 7 1.77x
Birkenhead 6 2.23x
Elvet 6 18.29x
Erringden 6 61.35x
Gateshead 6 1.76x
Kirkley 6 666.67x
Lambeth 6 0.45x
Llanelly 6 4.14x
Llantwit Major 6 115.61x
Merthyr Mawr 6 1132.08x
North Bierley 6 7.34x
St Vigeans 6 7.85x
Stoke Damerel 6 2.70x
Bradford 5 1.36x
Cannock 5 5.56x
Clifton 5 3.30x
Dalton In Huddersfield 5 14.74x
Illogan 5 10.92x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 2.04x
Scarborough 5 3.64x
St Andrew Holborn 5 9.65x
Whitehaven 5 7.13x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 98
William 66
James 56
Thomas 36
Joseph 31
George 30
Charles 19
Henry 19
Robert 18
David 17
Arthur 15
Edward 14
Fred 11
Frederick 11
Samuel 9
Herbert 8
Isaac 8
Abraham 7
Francis 7
Frank 7
Walter 7
Albert 5
Alfred 5
Donald 5
Edwin 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Daniel 4
Ernest 4
Richard 4
Archibald 3
Chas. 3
Edgar 3
Edwd. 3
Harry 3
Joe 3
Jonathan 3
Lewis 3
Matthew 3
Percy 3
Richd. 3
Sidney 3
Tom 3
Wright 3
Andrew 2
Bright 2
Cecil 2
Ed. 2
Robt. 2
Smith 2

FAQ

Nicholl surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nicholl surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,558 people were recorded with the Nicholl surname. That placed it at #2,712 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nicholl surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,594 in 2016. That gives Nicholl a modern rank of #3,893.

What does the Nicholl surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to the son of Nicholas.

What does the Nicholl map show?

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