The saga of the name McNickoll begins among the Viking settlers who arrived in
Scotland in the medieval era. The name McNickoll is derived from from the
personal name,
Nicholas. McNickoll is a
patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of
hereditary surnames. The surname McNickoll 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 McNickoll lived on the Isle of
Skye, which is located on the western coast.
Early Origins of the McNickoll family
The surname McNickoll 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 McNickoll family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McNickoll 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 McNickoll History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
McNickoll Spelling Variations
Contemporary spellings of ancient Scottish names often bear little resemblance to the original recorded versions. These
spelling variations result from the fact that medieval scribes spelled words and names alike according to their sounds. McNickoll has been spelled MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.
Early Notables of the McNickoll 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 McNickoll Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the McNickoll family to Ireland
Some of the McNickoll 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 McNickoll family to the New World and Oceana
The colonies on the fertile east coast of North America soon had many farms run by Scots. These hardy settlers provided a backbone for the great nations of the United States and Canada that would emerge in the next centuries. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Scottish name McNickoll or a variant listed above, including: Samuel Nicolson, who settled in New Jersey in 1664 with his wife Anne;
Angus, Ann, Archibald, Jean, John, Robert, McNicol, who all arrived in Wilmington NC in 1774.
The McNickoll 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.