Contents [hide]

Nicolson History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Nicolson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland
Ireland
England

The roots of the Nicolson family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. Nicolson was derived from from the personal name, Nicholas. Nicolson is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname Nicolson arose out of the religious naming tradition. In Christian countries, the name Nicholas was popular, owing to the legends surrounding the 4th century Lycian bishop of that name. In Catholic countries in particular, this religious figure was revered. This accounts for its popularity as a surname in Scotland. The name Nicholas came from the Greek, Nikolaos, which means conqueror of the people. In Scotland, the earliest bearers of the surname Nicolson lived on the Isle of Skye, which is located on the western coast.

Early Origins of the Nicolson family

The surname Nicolson was first found in on the Isle of Skye, where the first on record was Ottar Snaekollson who was the Chief of the MacNichols and attended the Council of Chiefs, held by MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, at Finlaggan on the Island of Islay about 1240. One of the first records of the name in Scotland was Maucolum fiz Nicol, who rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296 and the Nicholsons of Skye have Englished their name from Macnicol. 1

Early History of the Nicolson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicolson research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1500, 1607, 1645, 1655, 1694, 1698, 1705, 1713, 1718, 1720, 1725, 1727, 1728 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nicolson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicolson Spelling Variations

Sound and intuition were the main things that scribes in the Middle Ages relied on when spelling and translating names. Since those factors varied, so did the spelling of the names. Spelling variations of the name Nicolson include MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.

Early Notables of the Nicolson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

James Nicolson (d. 1607), Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland & Bishop of Dunkeld
Thomas Joseph Nicolson (1645-1718), a Roman Catholic bishop, Vicar Apostolic of Scotland (1694-1718)
William Nicolson (1655-1727), Bishop of Carlisle

Migration of the Nicolson family to Ireland

Some of the Nicolson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicolson migration to the United States +

In North America, the monarchy was thousands of miles away and Scots were free to settle on their own land and practice their own beliefs. The American War of Independence provided an opportunity for these settlers to pay back the English monarchy and forge a new nation. Recently, this heritage has survived through North American highland games and Clan societies. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nicolson or a variant listed above:

Nicolson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Ralph Nicolson, (Nichelson), aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 aboard the ship "Bonaventure" coming via St. Domingo 2
Richard Nicolson, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 3
James Nicolson, who arrived in Maryland in 1657 3
Samuel Nicolson, who settled in New Jersey in 1664 with his wife Anne
Elizabeth Nicolson, who landed in Maryland in 1680 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicolson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Kathrin Nicolson, aged 18, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774-1775 3
Finlow Nicolson, aged 16, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774 3

Nicolson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Nicolson, who landed in New York in 1850 3

Nicolson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nicolson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. Daniel Nicolson, aged 4 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Caithness-shire" departing from the port of Belfast, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 4
Mr. John Nicolson, aged 36 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Caithness-shire" departing from the port of Belfast, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle on 9th June 1847 4

Nicolson migration to Australia +

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

Nicolson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Arthur Nicolson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 5
Margaret Nicolson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 5
Robert Nicolson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 5
Ann Jane Nicolson, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Planter" in 1839 5
James Nicolson, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Omega" 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicolson 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:

Nicolson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Nicolson, (b. 1839), aged 24, Scottish farm labourer, from Stirlingshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Metropolis" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 16th June 1863 7
Mr. Angus Nicolson, (b. 1837), aged 26, Scottish farm labourer, from Inverness travelling from London aboard the ship "Sebastopol" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st May 1863 8
Agnes Nicolson, aged 14, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Soukar" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Nicolson (post 1700) +

Marjorie Hope Nicolson (1894-1981), American academic
R. D. Nicolson, American politician, Mayor of Selma, Alabama, 1952 9
Angus Nicolson (1942-2022), birth name of Aonghas MacNeacail, Scottish contemporary writer in the Scottish Gaelic language, born in Uig on the Isle of Skye
Nigel Nicolson OBE (1917-2004), British publisher, writer and politician, son of Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West
John Nicolson (1899-1935), South African cricketer
Sir Harold Nicolson KCVO CMG (1886-1968), British diplomat, politician and writer, son of Arthur Nicolson
Gerda Nicolson (1937-1992), Australian actress
Sir Arthur Nicolson (1849-1928), 1st Baron Carnock, British diplomat and politician
Adela Florence Nicolson (1865-1904), British poet using the pen name Laurence Hope
Adam Nicolson (b. 1957), 5th Baron Carnock, British writer
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Nicolson 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: Generositate
Motto Translation: By Generosity.

Citations +

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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 50)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PLANTER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Planter.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OMEGA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Omega.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html