Nicolaux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The surname is one of the oldest family names to came from that French region known as Brittany. It is derived from the Latin personal name Nicolaus, meaning victory people.

Early Origins of the Nicolaux family

The surname Nicolaux was first found in Brittany where they held a family seat in the seigneurie of Trévidy. They were members of the nobility since the year 1497. In Brittany they also branched to Champgèrault, Fardelière, Kerviziou, and Lézernant.

Early History of the Nicolaux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicolaux research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1501, 1516, 1598, 1617, 1625, 1682, 1695, 1709 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Nicolaux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicolaux Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Nicolaux is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Nicolas, De Nicolas, Nicolis, Nicolaz, Nicolais, Nicolai, Nicola, Nicolay, Nicolau, Nicolaud, Nicolaus, DeNicolai and many more.

Early Notables of the Nicolaux family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Louis Nicolas (died 1682), French missionary in Canada, author of the books "Histoire Naturelle des Indes Occidentales" and the "Grammaire algonquine"; Gabriel Nicolas...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nicolaux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nicolaux family

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Nicolaux has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Nicolaux were Etienne Nicolas who arrived in Quebec in 1750 from Aunis near Bordeaux, although this is thought to be his port of embarkation rather than his home region..

The Nicolaux 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: En bon espoir
Motto Translation: In good hope.