NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicklas

A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people."

In the 1881 census there were 27 people recorded with the Nicklas surname, ranking it #29,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 102, ranked #30,722, down from #29,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, Kingston upon Hull and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicklas is 102 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 277.8%.

1881 census count

27

Ranked #29,793

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

2011

102 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nicklas had 27 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 53 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Nicklas surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicklas surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nicklas 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 22 #31,140
1881 historical 27 #29,793
1891 historical 34 #31,604
1901 historical 51 #28,492
1911 historical 53 #27,508
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 91 #28,806
1999 modern 95 #28,465
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 94 #28,797
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 90 #29,481
2005 modern 90 #29,527
2006 modern 97 #28,793
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 97 #29,527
2009 modern 98 #29,906
2010 modern 100 #30,225
2011 modern 102 #29,759
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 95 #31,523
2014 modern 98 #31,370
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

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Where Nicklas' 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 Harrogate, Kingston upon Hull, Southend-on-Sea and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Harrogate 001 Harrogate
2 Kingston upon Hull 008 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Southend-on-Sea 005 Southend-on-Sea
4 Kingston upon Hull 009 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 023 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nicklas

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nicklas

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Nicklas is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nicklas is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nicklas falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nicklas is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nicklas

The surname NICKLAS is of Germanic origin, derived from the given name Nicholas, which itself is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos. The name first emerged in areas of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname NICKLAS dates back to the late 13th century in the town of Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany. An individual by the name of Nikolaus van Nicklas was mentioned in a local church record from 1287.

During the 14th century, the NICKLAS surname began to spread across other regions of northern Europe, particularly in areas with strong Dutch and German influences. Variations of the spelling, such as Nicklaus, Nicklessen, and Niklassen, can be found in historical documents from this time period.

One notable early bearer of the NICKLAS surname was Hans Nicklas, a merchant from the city of Lübeck, Germany, who was active in the late 15th century and was involved in the Hanseatic League's trade routes across the Baltic Sea.

In the 16th century, the NICKLAS surname appeared in records from the town of Emden, East Frisia (now part of modern-day Germany), where a family of that name held prominent positions in the local government and mercantile guilds.

As the surname spread across Europe, it also gained recognition in other regions, including the British Isles. John Nicklas (1510-1581), an English politician and landowner from Kent, served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was Philipp Nicklas von Avancini (1601-1686), an Austrian Jesuit priest and author who wrote several influential works on rhetoric and philosophy during the Baroque period.

In the 19th century, the NICKLAS surname gained further prominence with individuals such as Johann Evangelista Nicklas (1810-1879), a German-born painter and lithographer who worked in Paris and is known for his detailed architectural renderings.

Throughout history, the NICKLAS surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, artisans, clergymen, and intellectuals. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany and the Netherlands, the name has since spread across Europe and beyond, reflecting the mobility and cultural exchange that has shaped many surnames over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nicklas families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nicklas 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 8 Nicklas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.07x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 8 3.07x
Lancashire 5 1.60x
Shropshire 4 17.59x
Carmarthenshire 2 18.03x
Hampshire 1 1.85x
Herefordshire 1 9.27x
Kent 1 1.11x
Leicestershire 1 3.43x
Middlesex 1 0.38x
Montgomeryshire 1 16.58x
Staffordshire 1 1.13x
Worcestershire 1 2.91x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ripon in Yorkshire leads with 7 Nicklas' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1147.54x.

Place Total Index
Ripon 7 1147.54x
Wavertree 5 500.00x
N Lydbury 4 4444.44x
Llandilo Fawr 2 408.16x
Hammersmith London 1 15.43x
Hereford St Owen 1 277.78x
Holy Trinity 1 15.95x
Leicester St Mary 1 42.37x
Llanrhaiadr Ym Mochnant 1 526.32x
Milton In Gravesend 1 74.07x
Norton In Moors 1 212.77x
Oldbury 1 59.17x
Southampton St Mary 1 29.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 4
John 3
Henry 2
Richard 2
Charles 1
David 1
Frank 1
Thomas 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 Nicklas households.

FAQ

Nicklas surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nicklas surname in 1881?

In 1881, 27 people were recorded with the Nicklas surname. That placed it at #29,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nicklas surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Nicklas a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Nicklas surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people."

What does the Nicklas map show?

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