The roots of the McNicholl family name are in ancient
Scotland with the Viking settlers. McNicholl was derived from from the
personal name,
Nicholas. McNicholl is a
patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of
hereditary surnames. The surname McNicholl 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 McNicholl lived on the Isle of
Skye, which is located on the western coast.
Early Origins of the McNicholl family
The surname McNicholl 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Early History of the McNicholl family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNicholl research.
Another 229 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1500, 1607, 1645, 1718, 1694, 1718, 1655, 1727, 1655, 1728, 1694, 1698, 1698, 1705, 1713, 1720 and 1725 are included under the topic Early McNicholl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McNicholl 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 McNicholl include MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.
Early Notables of the McNicholl family (pre 1700)
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 McNicholl Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McNicholl family to Ireland
Some of the McNicholl family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 101 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McNicholl family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
McNicholl Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- John McNicholl, aged 26, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waimea" in 1876
Contemporary Notables of the name McNicholl (post 1700)
- Peter McNicholl, American actor, known for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), About a Boy (2002) and Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry (2000)
- John McNicholl, Northern Irish country singer
- Brian Frederick McNicholl OAM (b. 1951), New Zealand-born, Australian gold, two-time silver and bronze medalist Paralympic powerlifter, weightlifter and wheelchair basketballer
- Dermot "Spoofer" McNicholl (b. 1965), Irish Gaelic footballer who played for Derry in the 1980s and 1990s, member of Derry's 1993 All- Ireland Championship
- Johnny McNicholl (b. 1990), New Zealand rugby union footballer for Canterbury (2011-2016)
The McNicholl 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.