Show ContentsMcNicholls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the McNicholls family name are in ancient Scotland with the Viking settlers. McNicholls was derived from from the personal name, Nicholas. McNicholls is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname McNicholls 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 McNicholls lived on the Isle of Skye, which is located on the western coast.

Early Origins of the McNicholls family

The surname McNicholls 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 McNicholls family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNicholls 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 McNicholls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNicholls 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 McNicholls include MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.

Early Notables of the McNicholls 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)...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McNicholls Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the McNicholls family to Ireland

Some of the McNicholls 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.


United States McNicholls 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 McNicholls or a variant listed above:

McNicholls Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edwd McNicholls, aged 18, originally from Belfast, Ireland, who arrived in New York in 1894 aboard the ship "Teutonic" from Liverpool, England 2
McNicholls Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Henry McNicholls, aged 25, originally from Hoboken, who arrived in New York in 1905 aboard the ship "Caledonia" from Londonderry, Ireland 2
  • Bridget McNicholls, aged 68, who arrived in New York in 1910 aboard the ship "California" from Londonderry, Ireland 2
  • Thomas McNicholls, aged 19, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Glenorchy" from Trinidad, British West Indies 2

Contemporary Notables of the name McNicholls (post 1700) +

  • J. McNicholls, English political candidate for Baguley in the Manchester City Council election, 1988


The McNicholls 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.


  1. 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)
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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