Nicola History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
France
Italy

Etymology of Nicola

What does the name Nicola mean?

The surname Nicola was a patronymic name created from the personal name Nicola, or Nicholas. The Italian name Nicola is itself derived from the Latin Nicolaus, and ultimately the Greek Nikolaos, which is composed of the elements "nikan," which means "to win," and "laos," meaning "people." As a personal name, versions of this name are found throughout Europe due to devotion to several saints who bore the name, especially Saint Nicholas. The most common type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name. In Italy the popularity of the patronymic type of surname is also due to the fact that during the Christian era, people often named their children after saints and biblical figures.

Early Origins of the Nicola family

The surname Nicola was first found in the historically rich region of Venice. The surname Nicola has its origins in the city of Verona, which lies about halfway between Venice and Milan, in the region of Veneto.

The Nichesola family in 1162 was part of the nobility of Verona, and maintained their status in the noble council until 1406 when the title was taken away. The title was renewed, with apologies from the court, four hundred years later. The Nicola family in Venice in the 12th century was one of the most ancient and most noble families in the city at the time.

In 1184 Marco Nicola was given the title of Bishop of the Castle and contributed to the beauty of the city by having erected the church and monastery of St. Andrea.

Early History of the Nicola family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicola research. Another 145 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1364, 1437, 1463, 1563, 1724, 1762, 1785, 1842 and 1887 are included under the topic Early Nicola History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicola Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: DeNicola, Niccola, Niccolai, Niccoli, Niccolini, Niccolo, Niccolucci, Nicola, Nicolai, Nicolao, Nicolato, Nicolella, Nicoletti, Nicoli, Nicolicchia, Nicolich, Nicolini, Nicolli, Nicolo, Nicolodi, Nicolucci, Nicolussi, Nicora, Nicorelli, Nicorini, Nichesola and many more.

Early Notables of the Nicola family

Prominent among members of the family was

Giovanni Nicola, was an Archbishop in the 15th century in Amalfi, who later became the Archbishop of Verdun and the patriarch of Athens. In Pisa in the 16th century Agnolo Niccolini was created Archbi...

Nicola Ranking

In the United States, the name Nicola is the 15,394^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Nicola migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nicola Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ludwig Nicola, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2

Nicola Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Dn Nicola, aged 27, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1820 2
Guan Nicola, aged 28, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1854 2
Gavini Nicola, aged 28, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1858 2
Jose Maria Nicola, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1868 2
Gaetano Nicola, age 41, who arrived in America on June 7, 1880, aboard the "Victoria"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nicola (post 1700) +

Annabel Nicola Croft (b. 1966), English former professional British No. 1 female tennis player and current radio and television presenter from Farnborough, Kent
Carlo Nicola Pagani (b. 1977), Italian football defender
Nicola Shortman, American artist, known for Nanny McPhee (2005) and Great Performances (1971)
Nicola Jane Aiken (b. 1969), née Durbin, British politician for Westminster
Nicola Correia -Damude (b. 1981), Canadian actress known for The Strain (2015) and Shadowhunters (2016-2019)
Nicola Conticello, Italian production manager, known for The Man-Eater (1999), Le cose in te nascoste (2008) and The Butcher (1998)
Nicola Corinne Hitchcock, British singer and songwriter. She is best known for having been one half of the trip hop duo Mandalay
Nicola De Angelis C.F.I.C (1939-2023), Italian Bishop Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Nicola Sturgeon (b. 1970), Scottish politician, Leader of the Scottish National Party (2007-2014), First Minister of Scotland (2014-2023)
Nicola Molè (1931-2023), Italian lawyer and politician, member of the Social Christians and the Democrats of the Left, he served as president of the Province of Terni from 1995 to 1999

Sources +

"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)