Contents [hide]

Nichol History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Nichol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Etymology of Nichol

What does the name Nichol mean?

Nichol is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest of 1066 brought to England. It comes from the given name Nicholas. Nicholas derives from the Greek Nikolaos, which is made up of the words nikan, meaning to conquer, and laos, meaning people. 1

Early Origins of the Nichol family

The surname Nichol was first found in Cheshire, where Nicholas D'Albini, who was of the junior line of the Dukes of D'Albini in Normandy, settled in 1054, and his successor William became Baron of Malpas. Waleram Nicholai was listed in Suffolk in 1198 and Nicholaus was listed in Lincolnshire in 1147-1166. 1 By the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered as seen by: William filius Nicoll in Shropshire; and John Nicole and Stephen Nichole in Oxfordshire. 2

Some of the family were anciently found in the parish of St. Kew, Cornwall. "Trewane or Trewarne in this parish, was formerly a seat of the Nicholls family. The heiress of Nicholls, whose mother was a daughter of Sir Joseph Tredenham of Tregonan in St. Ewe, married Nicholas Glynn, Esq. and dying in 1771 without surviving issue, bequeathed her mansion and barton of Trewane to Thomas Glynn, Esq. of the borough of Helston." 3

Continuing our quest for family in Cornwall, we found this interesting geneological record: "Trereife [in the parish of Madern] has been the family estate of the Nicholls's from time immemorial. Dr. Nicholls, physician to George II. who opened the body of the king for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of his death, which he described in a paper addressed to the Royal Society, was second son of John Nicholls. This family intermarried with the families of Godolphin and Foote. William John Godolphin Nicholls, Esq. the last survivor of the elder branch of the family, died May 9, 1815, and bequeathed all his estates to his mother." 3

Early History of the Nichol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nichol research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1500, 1542, 1550, 1555, 1559, 1584, 1587, 1589, 1590, 1616, 1619, 1624, 1630, 1640, 1642, 1648, 1658, 1664, 1668, 1672, 1673, 1678, 1681, 1683, 1687, 1699, 1712, 1727, 1756, 1778, 1779, 1818, 1850 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nichol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nichol Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Nichol family name include Nicholl, Niccolls, Nichel, Nichol, Nicholls, Nichols, Nickel, Nickle, Nickles, Nicolls, Nicol, Nycol, Nuckles and many more.

Early Notables of the Nichol family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Blessed George Nichols (c. 1550-1589), an English Catholic martyr
John Nicholls (1555-1584), a controversial author
Frank Nicholls (1699-1778), a prominent British physician
Jonathan Nichols (1681-1727), 20th Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (1727)
Anthony Nicholl (died 1658), a Member of Parliament for Bossiney (1640), Member of Parliament for Bodmin (1640-1648), supported the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War
William Nicholls (1664-1712), an English clergyman and theologian, best known as the author of "Book of Common Prayer"

Nichol Ranking

In the United States, the name Nichol is the 9,000^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Nichol family to Ireland

Some of the Nichol family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 129 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nichol migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Nichol family to immigrate North America:

Nichol Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Jung Nichol, aged 20, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1739 5
Peter Nichol, aged 21, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 5
James Nichol, who settled in Charleston in 1767
James Nichol, who settled in Charleston, South Carolina in 1767

Nichol Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Nichol, aged 30, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1822 5
John Nichol, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1831 5
F Nichol, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
W Nichol, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
James Nichol, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nichol Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William Beecroft Nichol, who arrived in Alabama in 1920 5

Nichol migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nichol Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Harman Nichol, who landed in Canada in 1840

Nichol migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Nichol Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Jane Nichol, (Nicholl), (b. 1789), aged 37, Irish house servant who was convicted in Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, listed as having 1 child 6
John Nichol, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Jane Nichol, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Tomatin" in 1840 7
Richard Nichol, aged 34, a farmer, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Standard" 8
James Nichol, aged 31, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "John Bunyan" 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nichol migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Nichol Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Nichol, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 10
Sarah Nichol, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 10
Thomas Nichol, aged 6 mths., who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 10
Enoch Nichol, aged 32, a mason, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Sarah Nichol, aged 32, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nichol (post 1700) +

Joseph McGinty "McG" Nichol (b. 1968), American film director
William M. Nichol, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 5th District, 1920 11
William Nichol (1800-1878), American politician, Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, 1835-36 11
Thaddeus Nichol, American politician, Postmaster at Middletown, Connecticut, 1807-16 11
Fred Joseph Nichol (1912-1996), American Democratic Party politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 13th District, 1951-52, 1957-58; Candidate for South Dakota State Attorney General, 1954 11
Jean Nichol (1944-2020), stage name of Louis Simoneau, a Canadian singer and songwriter
Gene Nichol, former College of William & Mary president
Scott Nichol (b. 1974), Canadian NHL ice hockey player
Phil Nichol, Canadian comedian
John Pringle Nichol FRSE (1804-1859), Scottish astronomer
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Nichol family +

HMS Royal Oak

Gerald Nichol (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 12

RMS Lusitania

Miss Mary F. Nichol, Scottish 2nd Class passenger from Scotland, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13

The Nichol Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide sed cui vide
Motto Translation: Trust, but in whom take care.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) TOMATIN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Tomatin.htm
South Australian Register Friday 14 October 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Standard 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/standard1853.shtml
South Australian Register Wednesday 24th May 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) John Bunyan 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/johnbunyan1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/