NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicklin

An anglicized form of the Danish surname Nickelsen, meaning "son of Nicholas".

In the 1881 census there were 1,184 people recorded with the Nicklin surname, ranking it #3,401 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,367, ranked #2,769, up from #3,401 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Tipton otherwise Tibington and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Malvern Hills and South Staffordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicklin is 2,455 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 99.9%.

1881 census count

1,184

Ranked #3,401

Modern count

2,367

2016, ranked #2,769

Peak year

2002

2,455 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nicklin had 1,184 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,401 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,367 in 2016, ranked #2,769.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,995 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Nicklin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicklin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nicklin 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 776 #3,443
1861 historical 656 #4,086
1881 historical 1,184 #3,401
1891 historical 1,223 #3,516
1901 historical 1,701 #3,033
1911 historical 1,995 #2,492
1997 modern 2,151 #2,872
1998 modern 2,433 #2,671
1999 modern 2,446 #2,681
2000 modern 2,454 #2,661
2001 modern 2,401 #2,657
2002 modern 2,455 #2,669
2003 modern 2,417 #2,640
2004 modern 2,440 #2,623
2005 modern 2,374 #2,651
2006 modern 2,348 #2,683
2007 modern 2,360 #2,691
2008 modern 2,361 #2,711
2009 modern 2,380 #2,753
2010 modern 2,404 #2,782
2011 modern 2,394 #2,761
2012 modern 2,351 #2,761
2013 modern 2,383 #2,770
2014 modern 2,439 #2,737
2015 modern 2,376 #2,765
2016 modern 2,367 #2,769

Geography

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Where Nicklins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Dudley, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Malvern Hills and South Staffordshire. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 001 Dudley
2 Malvern Hills 002 Malvern Hills
3 South Staffordshire 007 South Staffordshire
4 Dudley 004 Dudley
5 Dudley 008 Dudley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nicklin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nicklin

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Nicklin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Nicklin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nicklin 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

Nicklin 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

Nicklin falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nicklin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Nicklin

The surname NICKLIN is of English origin, and it is believed to have its roots in the medieval period, specifically around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to have derived from the Old English words "nic" or "nicca," which referred to a water sprite or a goblin, and "lin," meaning a small stream or a pool.

This suggests that the name NICKLIN may have initially been a locational name, referring to someone who resided near a small body of water inhabited by these mythical creatures. It is possible that the earliest bearers of this surname lived in areas with streams or pools that were associated with such folklore.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NICKLIN can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1327, where a Richard Nyclyn is mentioned. This is an indication that the name was already in use during the 14th century.

Another notable historical reference to the NICKLIN surname comes from the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1379, which list a John Nyclyn as a taxpayer. These ancient records provide evidence of the name's existence and its various spellings during that era.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Parish of St. Giles in Northampton, where a William Nicklyne was christened in 1572. This spelling variation further illustrates the evolution of the surname over time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the NICKLIN surname was John Nicklin (c. 1550-1612), a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1608 until his death in 1612.

Another notable figure was Phillip Nicklin (1692-1766), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Tregony in Cornwall from 1722 to 1727.

In the 18th century, a man named Samuel Nicklin (1743-1811) was a renowned English engraver and bookseller who published works by notable authors such as Samuel Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Nicklin (1835-1909), a British architect who designed several notable buildings, including the New Zealand Government Buildings in Wellington.

Lastly, Marjorie Nicholson Nicklin (1892-1980) was a Canadian novelist and poet who gained recognition for her works depicting life in rural Ontario.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nicklin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nicklin 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. Staffordshire leads with 598 Nicklins recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.29x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 598 15.29x
Worcestershire 168 11.10x
Warwickshire 94 3.22x
Shropshire 54 5.39x
Yorkshire 47 0.41x
Lancashire 43 0.31x
Middlesex 26 0.22x
Derbyshire 24 1.32x
Dorset 19 2.50x
Cheshire 16 0.63x
Surrey 16 0.28x
Durham 11 0.32x
Brecknockshire 8 3.45x
Kent 8 0.20x
Devon 7 0.29x
Suffolk 7 0.50x
Bedfordshire 6 1.00x
Hampshire 6 0.25x
Lincolnshire 6 0.32x
Northumberland 5 0.29x
Hertfordshire 4 0.50x
Channel Islands 3 0.87x
Berkshire 2 0.23x
Gloucestershire 2 0.09x
Oxfordshire 2 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.14x
Cardiganshire 1 0.35x
Flintshire 1 0.32x
Norfolk 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.72x
Sussex 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. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 112 Nicklins recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.00x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 112 27.00x
Dudley 104 56.53x
Tipton 99 82.65x
Aston 62 7.70x
Walsall Foreign 46 22.76x
Harborne 32 25.52x
Trentham 29 87.17x
Droitwich St Nicholas 21 374.33x
Willenhall 21 28.66x
Stafford St Mary 20 36.12x
Cranborne 19 206.52x
Wolverhampton 18 5.98x
Sedgley 16 11.01x
Amblecote 14 125.56x
Bedworth 14 65.64x
Rowley Regis 14 12.84x
Birmingham 13 1.33x
Ashley 12 375.00x
West Bromwich 12 5.36x
Much Wenlock 11 119.18x
Stone 11 21.99x
Ackworth 10 113.38x
Bilston 10 13.19x
Dodderhill 10 155.04x
Droitwich St Peter 10 294.12x
Handsworth 10 10.37x
Kirkdale 10 4.32x
Wolstanton 10 8.42x
Ilkeston 9 17.69x
Kingswinford 9 6.34x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 7.48x
Brewood Featherstone 8 1038.96x
Broseley 8 44.97x
Burslem 8 7.14x
Ercall Magna 8 111.58x
Islington London 8 0.71x
Llanelly 8 28.85x
Manchester 8 1.29x
Newcastle Under Lyme 8 11.56x
Preston 8 2.17x
Tettenhall 8 33.44x
Colton 7 260.22x
Eldon 7 128.21x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 7 223.64x
Monks Coppenhall 7 7.25x
Scarcliff 7 285.71x
Wednesbury 7 7.16x
Wolstanton Knutton 7 29.31x
Wyre Piddle 7 673.08x
Cheadle 6 31.93x
Grantham 6 24.84x
Luton 6 5.78x
Southwark St George Martyr 6 2.57x
Wellington 6 10.66x
Byker 5 5.87x
Checkley 5 49.21x
Guildford St Mary 5 71.94x
Hanbury 5 122.25x
Norton In Moors 5 24.14x
Portsea 5 1.07x
Rotherham 5 7.72x
Tawstock 5 116.82x
Upton Magna 5 271.74x
Wolstanton Thursfield 5 105.26x
York All Sts Pavement 5 378.79x
Beckbury 4 305.34x
Boningale 4 512.82x
Boylestone 4 449.44x
Chiswick 4 6.32x
Colwich 4 43.01x
East Barnet 4 25.25x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 1.71x
Edgmond 4 36.30x
Greenwich 4 2.17x
Kings Norton 4 2.95x
Leek Lowe 4 7.68x
Linthorpe 4 5.84x
Tunstall 4 23.31x
Tutbury 4 41.93x
Wombwell 4 11.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 72
John 61
George 40
Thomas 40
James 38
Joseph 38
Henry 22
Samuel 18
Charles 17
Arthur 16
Albert 15
Edward 15
Alfred 13
David 10
Richard 10
Benjamin 7
Frederick 7
Daniel 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Herbert 5
Timothy 5
Walter 5
Enoch 4
Ernest 4
Fredrick 4
Robert 4
Thos. 4
Edwin 3
Elijah 3
Harry 3
Lewis 3
Abraham 2
Edmund 2
Eli 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Job 2
Josiah 2
Levi 2
Rowland 2
Solomon 2
Sydney 2
Aquila 1
Brammer 1
C.M. 1
Edmond 1
Edrick 1
Gerald 1
Wm.J. 1

FAQ

Nicklin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nicklin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,184 people were recorded with the Nicklin surname. That placed it at #3,401 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nicklin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,367 in 2016. That gives Nicklin a modern rank of #2,769.

What does the Nicklin surname mean?

An anglicized form of the Danish surname Nickelsen, meaning "son of Nicholas".

What does the Nicklin map show?

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