Nichol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Germany 
  Ireland 


Nichol is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest of 1066 brought to England. It comes from the given name Nicholas. Nicholas derives from the Greek Nikolaos, which is made up of the words nikan, meaning to conquer, and laos, meaning people. 1

Early Origins of the Nichol family

The surname Nichol was first found in Cheshire, where Nicholas D'Albini, who was of the junior line of the Dukes of D'Albini in Normandy, settled in 1054, and his successor William became Baron of Malpas. Waleram Nicholai was listed in Suffolk in 1198 and Nicholaus was listed in Lincolnshire in 1147-1166. 1 By the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered as seen by: William filius Nicoll in Shropshire; and John Nicole and Stephen Nichole in Oxfordshire. 2

Some of the family were anciently found in the parish of St. Kew, Cornwall. "Trewane or Trewarne in this parish, was formerly a seat of the Nicholls family. The heiress of Nicholls, whose mother was a daughter of Sir Joseph Tredenham of Tregonan in St. Ewe, married Nicholas Glynn, Esq. and dying in 1771 without surviving issue, bequeathed her mansion and barton of Trewane to Thomas Glynn, Esq. of the borough of Helston." 3

Continuing our quest for family in Cornwall, we found this interesting geneological record: "Trereife [in the parish of Madern] has been the family estate of the Nicholls's from time immemorial. Dr. Nicholls, physician to George II. who opened the body of the king for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of his death, which he described in a paper addressed to the Royal Society, was second son of John Nicholls. This family intermarried with the families of Godolphin and Foote. William John Godolphin Nicholls, Esq. the last survivor of the elder branch of the family, died May 9, 1815, and bequeathed all his estates to his mother." 3

Early History of the Nichol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nichol research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1307, 1500, 1542, 1550, 1555, 1559, 1584, 1587, 1589, 1590, 1616, 1619, 1624, 1630, 1640, 1642, 1648, 1658, 1664, 1668, 1672, 1673, 1678, 1681, 1683, 1687, 1699, 1712, 1727, 1756, 1778, 1779, 1818, 1850 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nichol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nichol Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Nichol family name include Nicholl, Niccolls, Nichel, Nichol, Nicholls, Nichols, Nickel, Nickle, Nickles, Nicolls, Nicol, Nycol, Nuckles and many more.

Early Notables of the Nichol family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Nichol Ranking

In the United States, the name Nichol is the 9,000th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Nichol family to Ireland

Some of the Nichol family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 129 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Nichol migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Nichol family to immigrate North America:

Nichol Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Nichol Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Nichol Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Nichol migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nichol Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Nichol migration to Australia +

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

Nichol Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Nichol 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:

Nichol Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Nichol (post 1700) +


The Nichol 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: Fide sed cui vide
Motto Translation: Trust, but in whom take care.
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