Show ContentsNicklaus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Nicklaus began when it was derived from The surname Nicklaus is a patronymic surname, belonging to the category of surnames known as hereditary surnames. Nicklaus is derived from the personal name Nicholas. It was a popular given name in the Middle Ages. This surname came to England with the Bretons, who accompanied Duke William of Normandy when he invaded England in 1066. The Bretons were from the peninsula of Brittany in the northwest of France. Formerly known as Armorica, a possession of the Roman Empire, this land consists of a plateau with a deeply indented coast and is broken by hills in the west. However, the region was renamed Britannia Minor by the Romans, following the emigration of six thousand Britons across the English Channel, an event which took place at the behest of the Roman Commander in Britain.

Early Origins of the Nicklaus family

The surname Nicklaus was first found in Cornwall; although in early times another branch of the family was established at West Horsley in Surrey. "The east window contains some very ancient stained glass; and there are two handsome monuments to the Nicholas family, one of whom, Sir Edward, was secretary of state to Charles I. and II." [1]

Early History of the Nicklaus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicklaus research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1525, 1593, 1594, 1595, 1611, 1657, 1658, 1661, 1667 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Nicklaus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicklaus Spelling Variations

There are many spelling variations of Breton surnames, because the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find references to one individual with many different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Nicholas, Nicholl, Nichol, Nicholls, Nicolas and many more.

Early Notables of the Nicklaus family

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was Matthew Nicholas (1594-1661), English Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London; Sir Edward Nicholas (1593-1669), an English office holder and politician...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nicklaus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Nicklaus family to Ireland

Some of the Nicklaus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Nicklaus migration to the United States +

An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Nicklaus arrived in North America very early:

Nicklaus Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Stephan Nicklaus, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Nicklaus (post 1700) +

  • Jack William "The Golden Bear" Nicklaus (b. 1940), American professional golfer widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time, recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015 [3]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)
  3. Jack Nicklaus. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Jack Nicklaus. Retrieved from http://www.nicklaus.com/


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