Surname Nichols - Meaning and Origin

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B. Nichols

Nichols: What does the surname Nichols mean?

The surname Nichols is a patronymic name, meaning it originates from a male ancestor's name, in this case, Nicholas. Deriving from the ancient Greek name, Nikolaos, it is composed of two elements "nikē" meaning victory and "laos” representing people. Thus, it stands for "Victory of the People." Over time, with variable pronunciation and spelling across different countries and regions, Nicholas transformed into variants including Nicholson, Nickson, and Nichols. Therefore, those bearing the Nichols surname likely have ancestral links to any man named Nicholas, possibly denoting them as "the son of Nicholas."

Nichols: Where does the name Nichols come from?

The last name Nichols is most prevalent today in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 data, close to 90,000 people have the last name Nichols, ranking it the 537th most common surname in the country.

Nichols is particularly common in Southern states. In the states of Florida and Georgia, it's the 88th and 89th most common surname, respectively. Currently, the highest concentration of people with this last name are found in North Carolina, followed by Mississippi, Virginia, and South Carolina. These four states alone make up roughly 20% of all people with the last name Nichols in the U.S.

Outside of the U.S., the name is relatively uncommon. For example, in England and Wales, this name is ranked the 755th most common surname. Additionally, in Australia, 19 out of 100,000 people have the name Nichols, making it the 454th most common name in the country.

Overall, the last name Nichols is more common in the United States than in other countries. However, due to its prevalence in a few Southern states, this name is more prevalent in certain parts of the country than others.

Variations of the surname Nichols

The surname Nichols is derived from the Old French given name 'Nicholas', and is also found as Nickels, Nicolaes, Nicolson, Nicholson, Nickelson, Nicol, Nickelsons, Nickle, Nicoll, Nikol, Kokols, and Nikolls. It is also found with different spellings in different origins and countries, such as Nucio, Nichels, Nickles, Nikles, Niklasson, Nikolson, Niclas, and Negus.

Nichols can also be a patronymic surname, derived from the names of the father or forefather of the initial bearer of the name. This could include patronyms derived from Germanic language such as Nicklaus, Nickelson, Nickol, and Nichola, as well as Polish language patronyms such as Nicek and Nicinski.

The surname also sometimes appears as Nicholsen, Nicolson, and Niccolson, stemming from the Scottish variant of the name, which comes from the given name ‘Nicol’. Other Scottish variants of Nichols include Nicholls and Nicola. Other variants of Nichols also include Nichollson, Nicolson, Nicholason, Nicholoson, Nickerlson, Nichelson, Nikalas, and others.

Further variations of Nichols are seen in Dutch and Afrikaans, such as Niklaus, Niklaas, Nikoleas, and in Norwegian and Danish it appears as Niklas. Irish and Welsh variants of the name include McCann, McCane, MacNeil, and MacNill, respectively. Nich, Nichol and Nicholas are all variants of Nichols as well.

Famous people with the name Nichols

• Mike Nichols: Legendary late director and producer of stage and film. Best known for his work on critically acclaimed films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Graduate, and Silkwood. Awarded an Oscar for Best Director in 1967.
• Dudley Nichols: Academy Award-winning screenwriter of films such as Bringing Up Baby, Stagecoach, The Informer, and the Long Voyage Home.
• Chris Nichols: Music producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist signed to The RCA Records label.
• John Nichols: Radical journalist, author, and progressive activist who penned several books and columns on politics and culture. Also the co-founder of the League of Independent Voters.
• Red Nichols: Renowned jazz trumpeter and bandleader who was a leading figure in the development of Dixieland jazz.
• Nichelle Nichols: Pioneering actress, best known for her role as Uhura in the Star Trek franchise. Also a renowned singer and activist for African American causes.
• Joe Nichols: Award-winning country singer-songwriter,s who is best known for hit songs such as “Brokenheartsville” and “Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”.
• Emmette Nichols: Prolific character actor of stage and screen. Notable film roles include The War Wagon, Longstreet, and Son of a Gunfighter.
• Jack D. Nichols: award-winning American television writer and film producer. Creator of the television series “In the Heat of the Night,” and wrote for many other popular shows of the time.
• Scott Nichols: American professional skateboarder and artist who has competed in several competitions around the world.
• Lee Roy Nichols: American country singer-songwriter and actor, best known for his country hit, “Tonight I’m Gonna Live it Up.”
• Jeff Nichols: Acclaimed American film director, writer, and producer, best known for films such as Take Shelter, Mud, and Loving.
• John Joseph Nichols: Renowned avant-garde and experimental filmmaker, best known for his short film, “The Unconscious,” which won the Grand Prix at the Festival des Amériques.
• Bill Nichols: American actor, comedian, and television personality, best known for his recurring impressions of funny characters on various late night talk shows.
• Annie Nichols: Talented professional horse rider who competed at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
• David Gordon Nichols: Renowned American historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of the Native Americans of the Southwest.
• Lucien Nichols: Actor often cast in westerns and television shows known for his short roles, but credited on over 200 films in his career including The Greatest Story Ever Told and Around The World In Eighty Days.

Other surnames

NicholNicholasNicholesNichollNichollsNicholsonNicholson of Barra