NameCensus.

UK surname

Nicolson

A surname of Anglo-Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Nicholas.

In the 1881 census there were 3,475 people recorded with the Nicolson surname, ranking it #1,310 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,640, ranked #1,868, down from #1,310 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lochs, Edinburgh and Kilmuir. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Skye North East, Skye North West and Skye South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Nicolson is 3,826 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

3,475

Ranked #1,310

Modern count

3,640

2016, ranked #1,868

Peak year

1891

3,826 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Nicolson had 3,475 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,310 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,640 in 2016, ranked #1,868.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,826 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Nicolson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Nicolson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Nicolson 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 3,238 #891
1861 historical 3,090 #938
1881 historical 3,475 #1,310
1891 historical 3,826 #1,254
1901 historical 3,769 #1,495
1911 historical 356 #10,148
1997 modern 3,006 #2,147
1998 modern 3,207 #2,090
1999 modern 3,250 #2,078
2000 modern 3,389 #1,989
2001 modern 3,238 #2,034
2002 modern 3,356 #2,017
2003 modern 3,314 #1,993
2004 modern 3,251 #2,029
2005 modern 3,262 #1,996
2006 modern 3,336 #1,959
2007 modern 3,335 #1,979
2008 modern 3,376 #1,973
2009 modern 3,409 #2,007
2010 modern 3,489 #1,999
2011 modern 3,421 #2,017
2012 modern 3,411 #1,971
2013 modern 3,508 #1,960
2014 modern 3,577 #1,930
2015 modern 3,580 #1,903
2016 modern 3,640 #1,868

Geography

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Where Nicolsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lochs, Edinburgh, Kilmuir, Glasgow and Tingwall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Skye North East, Skye North West, Skye South, East and West Mainland and Central Shetland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lochs Ross And Cromarty
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Kilmuir Inverness
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Tingwall Shetland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Skye North East Highland
2 Skye North West Highland
3 Skye South Highland
4 East and West Mainland Shetland Islands
5 Central Shetland Shetland Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Nicolson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Nicolson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Nicolson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Nicolson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Nicolson 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

Nicolson is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Nicolson falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Nicolson

The surname Nicolson originated in Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the given name Nicholas, which is a Greek name meaning "victory of the people." The Nicolson surname is an Anglo-Scottish habitation name that evolved from the place name Nicolson in the Scottish Borders region.

The earliest recorded example of the Nicolson surname appears in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of written instruments from the late 13th century. This document lists landowners and nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his invasion of Scotland in 1296. One of the signatories was Johannes de Nicholsone, a landowner from the Scottish Borders region.

In the 14th century, the Nicolsons were an influential family in the Scottish Borders area. They held lands in Roxburghshire and Berwickshire and were involved in various conflicts and battles during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. One notable figure from this period was Sir Richard Nicolson, who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in their struggle for Scottish independence.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Nicolsons continued to play a prominent role in Scottish history. In 1603, John Nicolson was appointed as the first Bishop of Galloway after the Scottish Reformation. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Nicolson, who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1649 to 1651 during the turbulent period of the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Nicolson surname spread beyond Scotland to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the United States and Canada. One prominent figure was William Nicolson, who was born in Orkneys in 1655 and became the Bishop of Carlisle in England from 1702 until his death in 1727.

Another distinguished Nicolson was Reverend William Nicolson, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1737. He was a prominent clergyman and scholar, serving as the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia from 1786 until his death in 1815.

In the 19th century, Sir Frederick William Erskine Nicolson was a British diplomat who served as the Governor of Cape Colony in South Africa from 1909 to 1910. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847 and died in 1919.

While the Nicolson surname has Scottish origins, it has since spread globally and has been adopted by individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities. The name continues to be associated with its rich Scottish heritage and the notable individuals who have borne it throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Nicolson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Nicolson 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. Inverness-shire leads with 1,059 Nicolsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.06x.

County Total Index
Inverness-shire 1,059 105.06x
Shetland 547 158.68x
Ross-shire 279 30.10x
Midlothian 245 5.42x
Caithness 190 41.12x
Lanarkshire 180 1.65x
Fife 170 8.51x
Orkney 88 23.70x
Renfrewshire 80 3.06x
Middlesex 63 0.19x
Angus 52 1.66x
Banffshire 52 7.43x
Morayshire 48 9.15x
Aberdeenshire 45 1.44x
Argyllshire 43 4.58x
Perthshire 39 2.57x
Durham 26 0.26x
Lancashire 23 0.06x
West Lothian 23 4.53x
Dunbartonshire 21 2.32x
Yorkshire 20 0.06x
Kincardineshire 19 4.62x
Surrey 16 0.10x
Sutherland 16 6.16x
East Lothian 14 3.13x
Ayrshire 12 0.48x
Cumberland 11 0.38x
Kent 10 0.09x
Stirlingshire 8 0.64x
Buteshire 7 3.42x
Clackmannanshire 7 2.51x
Devon 7 0.10x
Peeblesshire 6 3.78x
Nairnshire 5 4.85x
Cheshire 4 0.05x
Suffolk 4 0.10x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.07x
Sussex 3 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.15x
Hampshire 2 0.03x
Roxburghshire 2 0.33x
Berkshire 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Norfolk 1 0.02x
Wigtownshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portree in Inverness-shire leads with 412 Nicolsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1104.85x.

Place Total Index
Portree 412 1104.85x
Kilmuir 225 759.37x
Snizort 123 489.26x
Stornoway 108 89.40x
Lerwick Gulberwick 92 172.45x
Lochs 90 121.97x
Delting 89 459.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 89 4.89x
Strath 89 290.47x
Barony 87 3.15x
Wick 84 56.27x
Sandsting Aitsting 83 265.69x
Sleat 75 312.76x
Whiteness Weisdale 62 595.58x
Barvas 52 84.02x
Tingwall 42 243.76x
Govan 37 1.37x
Canisbay 35 115.36x
Dunrossness 33 72.72x
Dysart 33 24.53x
Walls Flotta 32 184.01x
Northmavine 30 114.29x
Edinburgh Canongate 29 25.20x
West Greenock 29 6.18x
Bressay Burra Quarff 27 179.64x
Forres 27 48.98x
South Leith 27 5.31x
Glasgow 25 1.29x
Dundee 24 2.06x
Nesting Lunnas Whalsay 24 79.03x
Duirinish 23 44.76x
Thurso 23 31.91x
Unst 23 91.23x
Aberdeen Old Machar 22 3.37x
North Leith 22 10.51x
Dunfermline 21 6.84x
Shapinshay 21 186.50x
Bower 20 107.47x
Bracadale 19 173.67x
Cameron 19 163.79x
Gamrie 19 24.31x
Inveravon 19 63.67x
Yell Mid 18 158.03x
Edinburgh Greenside 17 28.46x
Inverness 17 6.71x
Kensington London 17 0.91x
Kilmore Kilbride 17 28.50x
Small Isles 16 251.18x
South Uist 15 21.33x
Dumbarton 14 11.09x
East Greenock 14 5.67x
Halkirk 14 44.79x
Lochalsh 14 58.77x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 13 12.15x
Tranent 13 21.52x
Barra 12 47.69x
Liff Benvie 12 2.53x
Pittenweem 12 48.72x
Wolsingham 12 13.11x
Yell South 12 143.03x
Bermondsey 11 1.09x
Bow London 11 2.56x
North Uist 11 27.96x
Scoonie 11 25.42x
Hamilton 10 3.28x
Linlithgow 10 15.34x
Walls 10 59.81x
Bervie 9 36.96x
Colinton 9 17.85x
Eastwood 9 5.59x
Latheron 9 11.64x
Paisley Middle Church 9 5.91x
Uig 9 21.42x
Bishop Auckland 8 5.94x
Fordyce 8 15.88x
Kettle 8 33.36x
Kirkcaldy 8 8.07x
Kirkwall St Ola 8 14.38x
Stromness 8 28.72x
Tannadice 8 54.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 9
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Helen 4
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Ellen 3
Louisa 3
Sarah 3
Agnes 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Frances 2
Honora 2
Jessie 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Barbara 1
Bridget 1
Brobina 1
Clementina 1
Dorcas 1
E.E. 1
Edith 1
Elisabeth 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Euphemia 1
Eva 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Henritte 1
Janet 1
Letishe 1
Lettitia 1
Lizzie 1
M.A. 1
Mabel 1
Magie 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
Phoebe 1
Sophie 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
James 9
Joseph 8
William 8
Henry 5
George 4
Donald 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Alex. 2
Alexander 2
Duncan 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Richard 2
Alex 1
Alexr. 1
Alfred 1
Amos 1
Archd. 1
Chas. 1
Christefor 1
David 1
E.J. 1
Edward 1
Emerson 1
Frazer 1
Frederick 1
G.F. 1
Herbert 1
Jas. 1
Kenneth 1
Matthew 1
Neil 1
Nicol 1
Niel 1
Roderic 1
Roderick 1
Sarah 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Theodore 1

FAQ

Nicolson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Nicolson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,475 people were recorded with the Nicolson surname. That placed it at #1,310 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Nicolson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,640 in 2016. That gives Nicolson a modern rank of #1,868.

What does the Nicolson surname mean?

A surname of Anglo-Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Nicholas.

What does the Nicolson map show?

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