NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicolaou

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

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Enfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicolaou is 1,379 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

1,305

2016, ranked #4,593

Peak year

2010

1,379 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,305 in 2016, ranked #4,593.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Multi-Ethnic Communities.

Nicolaou surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicolaou surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nicolaou 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
1997 modern 1,071 #5,194
1998 modern 1,148 #5,065
1999 modern 1,197 #4,938
2000 modern 1,171 #5,009
2001 modern 1,178 #4,887
2002 modern 1,252 #4,729
2003 modern 1,266 #4,588
2004 modern 1,286 #4,528
2005 modern 1,273 #4,515
2006 modern 1,294 #4,462
2007 modern 1,300 #4,485
2008 modern 1,309 #4,488
2009 modern 1,330 #4,517
2010 modern 1,379 #4,459
2011 modern 1,362 #4,459
2012 modern 1,313 #4,530
2013 modern 1,359 #4,476
2014 modern 1,345 #4,534
2015 modern 1,312 #4,592
2016 modern 1,305 #4,593

Geography

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Where Nicolaous 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 Enfield. 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 Enfield 031 Enfield
2 Enfield 035 Enfield
3 Enfield 019 Enfield
4 Enfield 021 Enfield
5 Enfield 026 Enfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nicolaou

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nicolaou

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Established Multi-Ethnic Communities

Nationally, the Nicolaou surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Multi-Ethnic Communities, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Nicolaou household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Parents and young children in this Group are drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds in broadly similar proportions. Employment is typically in elementary occupations, though workers in professional, intermediate or skilled trades occupations are also present. The residential landscape is dominated by terraced housing, although semi-detached houses and flats are also present. This Group is found in London and in many provincial towns and cities throughout the U.K.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Nicolaou is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Nicolaou is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nicolaou falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Nicolaou is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Nicolaou

The surname Nicolaou originates from Greece, where it was first recorded in the late 14th century. It is derived from the Greek personal name Nikolaos, which means "victor of the people" and is a combination of the words nike (meaning victory) and laos (meaning people).

The earliest recorded instance of the Nicolaou surname appears in a document from the island of Crete in 1387. This document mentions a landowner named Georgios Nicolaou, who owned a vineyard in the village of Arkalochori. The name was also found in other parts of Greece, such as the Peloponnese region and the Ionian Islands.

In the 15th century, the Nicolaou name appeared in several historical records from the Byzantine Empire. One notable reference is in the chronicles of the siege of Constantinople in 1453, where a soldier named Konstantinos Nicolaou is mentioned as part of the city's defense forces.

As the centuries passed, the Nicolaou surname spread to other parts of the Mediterranean region, including Cyprus, Italy, and the Levant. In the 16th century, a merchant named Alexandros Nicolaou is recorded as having traded goods between the island of Chios and the port of Livorno in Italy.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Nicolaou surname was Georgios Nicolaou, a Greek scholar and philosopher who lived from 1471 to 1541. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of the Renaissance and is known for his work in translating ancient Greek texts into Latin.

Another notable figure was Konstantinos Nicolaou, a Greek revolutionary who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. He was born in 1785 and played a crucial role in the liberation of the Peloponnese region.

In the 20th century, the Nicolaou surname gained recognition through the work of Kyriacos Nicolaou, a Cypriot-American chemist born in 1946. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of organic synthesis and has been awarded numerous honors, including the prestigious Wolf Prize in Chemistry.

Other individuals with the Nicolaou surname include Eleni Nicolaou, a Greek writer and poet born in 1927, and Andreas Nicolaou, a Cypriot politician and former Minister of Finance, born in 1949.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Nicolaou surname: questions and answers

How common is the Nicolaou surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,305 in 2016. That gives Nicolaou a modern rank of #4,593.

What does the Nicolaou surname mean?

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

What does the Nicolaou map show?

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