History of your Surname
Get access to Nicholas family records.Start a free trial

Nicholas Family History

Nicholas Name Meaning

English (southwestern England and south Wales) and Dutch: from the personal name Nicholas (from Latin Nicolaus from Greek Nikolaos from nikān ‘to conquer’ + laos ‘people’). Forms with -ch- are due to hypercorrection (compare Anthony ). The name in various vernacular forms was popular among Christians throughout Europe in the Middle Ages largely as a result of the fame of a 4th-century Lycian bishop about whom a large number of legends grew up and who was venerated in the Orthodox Church as well as the Catholic. In North America the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages and also their patronymics and other derivatives e.g. Croatian and Serbian Nikolić (see Nikolic ) Greek Papanikolaou ‘(son of) Nicholas the priest’ and Nikolopoulos . Compare Nickolas .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Nicolas, Nichols, Nikolas, Nichol, Nicolo, Nicola, Nicholls, Nicholes

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Nicholas family from?

You can see how Nicholas families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nicholas family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nicholas families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 243 Nicholas families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Nicholas's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Nicholas families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nicholas surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Nicholas ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Nicholas. 26% of Nicholas men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Nicholas women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nicholas were Journalier and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Nicholas | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    26%
  • Labourer
    15%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Journalier
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    27%
  • Farmer
    24%
  • Income
    16%
  • Teacher
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Nicholas family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 239,000 census records available for the last name Nicholas. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nicholas census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Nicholas

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Nicholas. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nicholas immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 35,000 military records available for the last name Nicholas. For the veterans among your Nicholas ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nicholas military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nicholas family history

Discover More

What is the average Nicholas lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Nicholas life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Nicholas in 1942 was 50, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nicholas

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Nicholas family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Nicholas last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial