McNichols History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Family Crest Image (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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

Early Origins of the McNichols family

The surname McNichols 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 McNichols family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNichols research. Another 115 words (8 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 McNichols History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McNichols Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes most often spelled names by the way they sounded. spelling variations, are thus, very common in records dating from that time. Over the years, McNichols has been spelled MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.

Early Notables of the McNichols 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 McNichols Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the McNichols family to Ireland

Some of the McNichols 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.

McNichols migration to the United States +

The Scottish settlers spread out along the fertile land of the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. They and many of their children went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. That heritage has been recovered by many in this century through Clan societies and other Scottish historical organizations. Archival documents indicate that members of the McNichols family relocated to North American shores quite early:

McNichols Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bridget McNichols, aged 20, who settled in America, in 1894
Michael McNichols, aged 65, who landed in America, in 1895

McNichols Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Kate McNichols, aged 23, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1900
Michael McNichols, aged 42, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1901
Mary McNichols, aged 18, who immigrated to America from Kiltimagh, Ireland, in 1909
Hubert McNichols, aged 30, who immigrated to Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.A., in 1910
Patrick McNichols, aged 60, who landed in America, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McNichols migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McNichols Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Andrew R. McNichols, aged 48, who immigrated to Winnipeg, Canada, in 1913

Contemporary Notables of the name McNichols (post 1700) +

Stephen Lucid Robert McNichols (1914-1997), American politician, 35th Governor of Colorado (1957 to 1963)
Robert James McNichols (1922-1993), United States federal judge from Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Raymond Clyne McNichols (1914-1985), United States federal judge from Bonners Ferry, Idaho
William Henry McNichols Jr. (1910-1997), American politician, Mayor of Denver, Colorado, 1968-83
Walter McNichols, American Republican politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 22nd District, 1911-14

The McNichols 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)