NameCensus.

UK surname

Nichols

An English surname derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."

In the 1881 census there were 9,755 people recorded with the Nichols surname, ranking it #440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,406, ranked #687, down from #440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, Suffolk Coastal and North Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nichols is 11,514 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

9,755

Ranked #440

Modern count

9,406

2016, ranked #687

Peak year

1911

11,514 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nichols had 9,755 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,406 in 2016, ranked #687.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,514 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Nichols surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nichols surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nichols 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 7,593 #369
1861 historical 7,601 #369
1881 historical 9,755 #440
1891 historical 9,726 #455
1901 historical 9,983 #523
1911 historical 11,514 #427
1997 modern 9,650 #647
1998 modern 10,032 #641
1999 modern 10,078 #642
2000 modern 10,030 #646
2001 modern 9,799 #647
2002 modern 9,989 #651
2003 modern 9,596 #663
2004 modern 9,488 #672
2005 modern 9,295 #673
2006 modern 9,196 #683
2007 modern 9,260 #683
2008 modern 9,305 #684
2009 modern 9,568 #679
2010 modern 9,740 #682
2011 modern 9,644 #677
2012 modern 9,390 #684
2013 modern 9,591 #683
2014 modern 9,570 #688
2015 modern 9,466 #685
2016 modern 9,406 #687

Geography

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Where Nichols' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, Suffolk Coastal and North Norfolk. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 002 Great Yarmouth
2 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
3 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
4 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal
5 North Norfolk 006 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nichols

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nichols

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Nichols, 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 Nichols surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Nichols 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, Nichols 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

Nichols is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nichols falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nichols

The surname Nichols is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the medieval English personal name "Nicholas," which was ultimately derived from the Greek name "Nikolaos," meaning "victor of the people."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nichols can be found in various medieval records and documents from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Nichol, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212.

The name Nichols is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Nicholshayes in Devon and Nicholsfield in Lincolnshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Nichols who owned or resided in those areas.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may refer to individuals with the name Nichols or its variants, such as Nicol and Nichol.

One notable bearer of the surname Nichols was Sir Edward Nichols (1555-1616), an English soldier and politician who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was John Nichols (1745-1826), an English printer, author, and antiquarian who published numerous works on English history and literature. He is best known for his "Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica," a collection of topographical works on various counties in England.

In the literary world, Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) was a renowned English author, playwright, and composer. He was known for his witty and humorous novels, as well as his works on gardening and travel.

The American writer and journalist Anne Nichols (1891-1966) achieved fame as the author of the hit Broadway play "Abie's Irish Rose," which had a record-breaking run of over 2,500 performances in the 1920s.

In the field of science, Thomas Nichols (1815-1901) was a distinguished English mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the study of differential equations and served as the Regius Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Nichols throughout history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nichols families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nichols 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 1,256 Nichols' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,256 1.32x
Yorkshire 1,129 1.20x
Norfolk 843 5.76x
Surrey 646 1.39x
Lancashire 525 0.46x
Staffordshire 388 1.21x
Essex 379 2.02x
Gloucestershire 346 1.85x
Northamptonshire 316 3.53x
Devon 313 1.58x
Kent 310 0.95x
Warwickshire 279 1.16x
Suffolk 236 2.04x
Leicestershire 212 2.01x
Somerset 207 1.35x
Cheshire 179 0.85x
Hampshire 174 0.89x
Durham 172 0.61x
Buckinghamshire 162 2.82x
Lincolnshire 152 1.00x
Worcestershire 142 1.14x
Sussex 132 0.82x
Cornwall 131 1.22x
Glamorgan 125 0.75x
Cambridgeshire 97 1.61x
Northumberland 96 0.68x
Derbyshire 87 0.58x
Oxfordshire 82 1.40x
Wiltshire 66 0.78x
Hertfordshire 64 0.98x
Monmouthshire 60 0.87x
Berkshire 59 0.83x
Bedfordshire 52 1.06x
Shropshire 45 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 40 0.31x
Cumberland 33 0.40x
Huntingdonshire 29 1.53x
Herefordshire 23 0.59x
Pembrokeshire 23 0.76x
Dorset 19 0.30x
Channel Islands 14 0.50x
Carmarthenshire 13 0.32x
Royal Navy 12 1.06x
Isle of Man 10 0.57x
Lanarkshire 10 0.03x
Rutland 10 1.43x
Brecknockshire 9 0.47x
Cardiganshire 9 0.39x
Ayrshire 8 0.11x
Midlothian 7 0.05x
Flintshire 6 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.28x
Radnorshire 5 0.65x
Angus 3 0.03x
Westmorland 3 0.14x
Anglesey 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Dumfriesshire 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. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 138 Nichols' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 138 1.73x
St Pancras London 129 1.68x
Leeds 109 2.05x
West Ham 106 2.56x
Bethnal Green London 102 2.47x
Islington London 99 1.07x
Lambeth 99 1.19x
Shoreditch London 95 2.30x
Leicester St Margaret 85 3.30x
Camberwell 84 1.38x
Battersea 82 2.34x
St Marylebone London 80 1.57x
Kensington London 79 1.49x
Great Yarmouth 74 6.10x
Bradfield 73 20.08x
Aston 67 1.01x
Oldham 59 1.62x
Hunslet 54 3.67x
West Bromwich 49 2.66x
Southwark St George Martyr 48 2.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 47 2.67x
Hackney London 46 0.86x
Newington 45 1.28x
Bow London 44 3.63x
Croydon 44 1.71x
Mangotsfield 44 23.65x
Hammersmith London 42 1.79x
St George Hanover 42 3.38x
Chelsea London 41 1.43x
Heigham 40 5.09x
Wortley In Bramley 40 5.35x
Bedminster 39 2.71x
Hemsby 39 184.75x
Lewisham 37 2.14x
Greenwich 36 2.38x
Martham 35 97.85x
Portsea 35 0.92x
Deptford St Paul 34 1.36x
Bromley London 33 1.58x
Sheffield 33 1.10x
Stoke Damerel 33 2.38x
Poplar London 32 1.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 32 0.94x
Bermondsey 31 1.09x
Everton 31 0.86x
Mile End Old Town 31 2.06x
Plymouth St Andrew 31 2.03x
Wolverhampton 31 1.25x
Corby 30 117.60x
Horsforth 29 14.02x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 29 6.60x
Norwich St Michael At 29 34.16x
Great Grimsby 28 2.90x
Maidstone 28 2.89x
Monks Coppenhall 28 3.53x
Paddington London 28 0.80x
Tottenham 28 1.85x
Leicester St Mary 27 3.17x
Clifton 26 2.76x
Horton In Bradford 26 1.77x
Huddersfield 26 1.89x
Maker 26 26.12x
Sedgley 26 2.18x
St George In East 26 4.02x
Tipton 25 2.54x
Bradford 24 1.05x
Hanslope 24 46.42x
Lakenham 24 11.54x
Raunds 24 26.33x
Whitby 24 49.51x
Wootton 24 68.14x
Clapham 23 1.93x
Farnham 23 6.38x
Spalding 23 7.62x
Dunnington In York 22 90.87x
Linthorpe 22 3.91x
Northampton St Giles 22 6.45x
Paul 22 11.24x
Walsall Foreign 22 1.33x
Leyton Low 21 5.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 657
Sarah 385
Elizabeth 384
Eliza 198
Emma 186
Jane 183
Ann 172
Alice 144
Annie 131
Emily 127
Ellen 116
Hannah 113
Harriet 84
Martha 77
Maria 65
Florence 63
Charlotte 60
Fanny 60
Louisa 60
Margaret 59
Caroline 56
Ada 51
Edith 50
Amelia 42
Clara 42
Catherine 41
Frances 39
Kate 39
Lucy 39
Rose 35
Harriett 34
Susan 33
Anne 31
Esther 29
Isabella 28
Agnes 27
Matilda 26
Amy 24
Jessie 24
Rebecca 24
Sophia 23
Minnie 21
Gertrude 20
Ethel 19
Laura 17
Bertha 16
Grace 16
Lydia 16
Maud 16
Susannah 16

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 619
John 585
George 321
James 308
Thomas 272
Charles 240
Henry 207
Joseph 171
Arthur 119
Alfred 118
Robert 106
Edward 105
Samuel 102
Walter 99
Frederick 93
Richard 76
Albert 57
Harry 54
Herbert 52
Ernest 36
Benjamin 34
Frank 34
David 32
Edwin 29
Wm. 28
Thos. 27
Fred 22
Daniel 18
Francis 17
Philip 13
Sidney 13
Tom 13
Percy 12
Abraham 11
Fredrick 11
Andrew 10
Christopher 10
Geo. 10
Isaac 10
Matthew 10
Stephen 10
Jonathan 9
Noah 9
Jas. 8
Jesse 8
Chas. 7
Edmund 7
Jno. 7
Mark 7
Jacob 6

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 Nichols households.

FAQ

Nichols surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nichols surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,755 people were recorded with the Nichols surname. That placed it at #440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nichols surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,406 in 2016. That gives Nichols a modern rank of #687.

What does the Nichols surname mean?

An English surname derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."

What does the Nichols map show?

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