Contents [hide]

Nixon History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Nixon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland/England
Ireland

Etymology of Nixon

What does the name Nixon mean?

The roots of the Nixon family stretch back to the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands, who were the first to use their surname. It is derived from the personal name Nicholas, which was Nik, or Nikke in Old English and literally translates as "son of Nick." 1

Early Origins of the Nixon family

The surname Nixon was first found in Cumberland, now known as Cumbria in the northern England, bordering the Scottish counties of Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire to the north. "The name was common on both sides of the Border, perhaps most so in Bewcastle in Cumberland; but as early as 1376 we find a William Nycson occupying lands in the district of Ermyldoune in Liddesdale." 2 William Nykson was one of the "borowis" for the Earl of Douglas's bounds of the West March in 1398. 2

Across the border in England, we find: the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 including Henry Nix Oxfordshire; and William Nix, Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 includes entries for Margareta Nikeson; and William Nicson. 3

In Nottinghamshire, we find Robert Nikkesune in 1309 and the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1332 lists John Nickeson as holding lands there at that time. 1

Nixon is numerous in Ulster, especially in Counties Antrim and Fermanagh. The most notable immigrant family of the name settled in Co. Fermanagh in 1609. 4

Early History of the Nixon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nixon research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1588, 1619, 1620, 1646, 1653, 1662, 1665, 1677, 1811, 1853 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nixon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nixon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Nixon, Nicksoun, Nickson, Nicheson, Nickson, Nekson, Nexson, Nexsoune, Nicksoune, Nicson, Nikson, Niksoun, Niksown, Nixon, Nixoun, Nixson, Nixsone, Nixsoun, Nixsoune, Nycson, Nykson, Nyksone, Nyksoun, Nyksown, Nysson; Plural: Nekesonis, Nekesouns, Neksons, Nexsones, Nexsounes, Nicksons, Nicsons, Niksonis, Niksons, Nixones, Nixons, Nixsonis, Nixsons, Nycsons, Nyksons, Nysons, Nyxons, Nyxsonnes and many more.

Early Notables of the Nixon family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Robert Nixon, English legendary prophet of Cheshire, however, many accounts about him appear to be in conflict with each other, it is generally believed he may have lived in either the 15th or 17th ce...

Nixon World Ranking

In the United States, the name Nixon is the 661^st most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Nixon is ranked the 953^rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,660 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Nixon is the 648^th popular surname with an estimated 6,020 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Nixon as 530^th with 1,314 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Nixon as 467^th with 13,967 people. 9

Migration of the Nixon family to Ireland

Some of the Nixon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 181 words (13 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nixon migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nixon Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Nixon, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1685 10

Nixon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Kath Nixon, who landed in Virginia in 1705 10
Henry Nixon, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 10
George Nixon, who was on record in New York in 1760
Robert Spencer Nixon, who landed in America in 1793 10

Nixon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Adam Nixon, who arrived in America in 1802 10
Robert Nixon, who landed in America in 1803 10
Mary Nixon, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 10
Andrew Nixon, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1818
John Nixon, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nixon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nixon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Nixon, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Allan Nixon U.E., (Allen) who settled in Canada c. 1784 11

Nixon Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Andrew Nixon, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
William Nixon, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834
Sarah Nixon, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Daniel O'Connell" in 1834

Nixon migration to Australia +

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

Nixon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Catherine Nixon, (b. 1774), aged 39, Irish country servant who was convicted in Monaghan, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Nixon, (b. 1800), aged 18, English convict who was convicted in Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1875 13
Mr. John Nixon, (b. 1791), aged 28, English coal miner who was convicted in Northumberland, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1832 14
Robert Nixon, a shipwright, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
George Nixon, a potter, who arrived in Van Diemenâ€™s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nixon 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:

Nixon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Nixon, aged 23, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Eliza Julia Nixon, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Mr. Adam Nixon, (b. 1799), aged 48, Irish , settler born in County Cavan, Ireland arriving as 1st detachment of Royal New Zealand Fencible Corps travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 15
Mrs. Elizabeth Nixon née O'Reilly, (b. 1807), aged 40, British settler travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 15
Miss Ellen Nixon, (b. 1828), aged 19, British settler travelling from Tilbury, Essex aboard the ship "Ramillies" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 6th August 1847 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nixon (post 1700) +

Mojo Nixon (1957-2024), stage name of Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., an American musician and actor best known for his novelty song "Elvis Is Everywhere"
Edward Calvert Nixon (1930-2019), American entrepreneur, the youngest and last surviving brother of United States President Richard Nixon
Russell Eugene "Rus" Nixon (1935-2016), American Major League Baseball catcher, coach and manager
Agnes Nixon (1922-2016), née Eckhardt, an American five-time Writers' Guild of America Award winning and five-time Daytime Emmy Award winning television writer and producer
Marni Nixon (1930-2016), born Margaret Nixon McEathron, an American soprano and playback singer, best known for dubbing the singing voices of leading actresses in the films The King and I, West Side Story and My Fair Lady
David Nixon (b. 1985), American NFL football linebacker
Marian Nixon (1904-1983), born Marian Nissinen, American film actress
Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (b. 1956), American politician, the 55th Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri
Cynthia Ellen Nixon (b. 1966), American two-time Emmy Award, Tony award, and Grammy Award winning actress, best known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series Sex and the City (1998â€“2004)
John Nixon (1724-1815), American brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
... (Another 21 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Nixon family +

Empress of Ireland

Master Leslie Nixon (1913-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
Miss Emma J Nixon (1911-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16
Mrs. Ethel Mary Nixon (1885-1914), née Jeffrey Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 16

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Joseph Nixon (1875-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 17

HMS Royal Oak

Harry Nixon (1920-1939), British Stoker 2nd Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 18

Mount Mulligan Mine

John Nixon, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Harold Nixon, English Storekeeper from Anfield, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 19

USS Indianapolis

Daniel Merrill Nixon (1923-2004), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 20

Victoria steamboat disaster

Wm Nixon, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

Vimy Ridge

William John Nixon (1887-1917), Canadian bartender, Private in the 44th Battalion from Manitoba who died at Vimy Ridge May 1917

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
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 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew