NameCensus.

UK surname

Nickells

A surname derived from the given name Nicholas, a variation of the ancient Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people".

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Nickells surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Paddington and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torbay, West Devon and North Warwickshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nickells is 161 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.2%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

1999

161 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nickells had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 131 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Nickells surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nickells surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nickells 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 128 #17,375
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 105 #22,179
1911 historical 131 #19,404
1997 modern 151 #21,034
1998 modern 160 #20,832
1999 modern 161 #20,868
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 150 #21,482
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 149 #21,766
2004 modern 151 #21,720
2005 modern 141 #22,688
2006 modern 145 #22,420
2007 modern 141 #23,137
2008 modern 142 #23,270
2009 modern 142 #23,791
2010 modern 139 #24,688
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 137 #24,731
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 145 #24,246
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Nickells' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Paddington, London parishes, Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a and Colchester St James. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torbay, West Devon, North Warwickshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Exeter. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 Paddington London (West Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Colchester St Botolph, St Mary at the Walls, St Giles, St Mary Magdalen, Holy Trinity, St Runwald, a Essex
5 Colchester St James Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torbay 006 Torbay
2 West Devon 003 West Devon
3 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
4 Bath and North East Somerset 026 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Exeter 002 Exeter

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nickells

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nickells

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Nickells is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Nickells is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nickells falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nickells is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nickells

The surname Nickells originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the medieval English personal name "Nicol," which was a variant of the name Nicholas. The name Nicholas itself has Greek origins, meaning "victory of the people."

Nickells was initially found in various counties across England, including Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Lincolnshire. Early recorded spellings of the name include Nicoll, Nicholls, Nichols, and Nickles. These variations arose due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Nickells surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, which lists a Richard Nicol. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296 also reference a John Nicoll.

In the 16th century, the Nickells family established roots in Staffordshire, England. A notable member was Robert Nickells (1554-1619), a clergyman and scholar who served as the rector of Monks Risborough in Buckinghamshire.

Another prominent figure was John Nickoll (1660-1726), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works, including "The Christian Pattern" and "The Whole Duty of Man."

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Nickells surname was also found in various parts of Scotland. One notable Scottish bearer was Alexander Nickell (1737-1810), a merchant and landowner from Ayrshire.

In the 19th century, the Nickells family gained prominence in the United States. One notable American with this surname was John Nickells (1821-1895), a Union Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and later served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Another significant figure was William Nickells (1857-1934), an English-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio, from 1905 to 1907.

The Nickells surname has been associated with various place names in England, such as Nickells Green in Cheshire and Nickells Farm in Lincolnshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Nickells surname who resided or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nickells families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nickells 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. Kent leads with 16 Nickells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.40x.

County Total Index
Kent 16 5.40x
Devon 15 8.30x
Essex 15 8.76x
Middlesex 9 1.04x
Warwickshire 8 3.65x
Cornwall 7 7.12x
Cheshire 6 3.13x
Worcestershire 3 2.65x
Lancashire 2 0.19x
Surrey 2 0.47x
Berkshire 1 1.53x
Hertfordshire 1 1.67x
Leicestershire 1 1.04x
Norfolk 1 0.75x
Northumberland 1 0.77x
Sussex 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Greenstead in Essex leads with 9 Nickells' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3600.00x.

Place Total Index
Greenstead 9 3600.00x
Tormoham 8 104.71x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 107.03x
Lewisham 7 44.33x
Rame 7 2800.00x
Claughton With Grange 6 689.66x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 161.81x
Brentwood 4 384.62x
Broadhembury 4 2000.00x
Paddington London 4 12.54x
Kensington London 3 6.22x
Oldbury 3 53.76x
Plumstead 3 30.40x
Colchester St Botolph 2 136.99x
Newton Abbot St Mary 2 131.58x
Putney 2 50.51x
Ashburton 1 116.28x
Great Claybrooke 1 769.23x
Great Yarmouth 1 9.05x
Kearsley 1 46.08x
Leamington Priors 1 18.55x
Morpeth 1 65.79x
New Windsor 1 45.66x
North Mimms 1 263.16x
St George Hanover 1 8.83x
St Pancras London 1 1.43x
Upholland 1 75.76x
Walmer 1 77.52x
Worthing 1 625.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Jane 3
Anne 2
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Kate 2
Maud 2
Alice 1
Amanda 1
Beatrice 1
Bessie 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Louisa 1
Luccy 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Sally 1
Sarah 1
Sussan 1
Winiferd 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Nickells surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nickells surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Nickells surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nickells surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Nickells a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Nickells surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Nicholas, a variation of the ancient Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people".

What does the Nickells map show?

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