Contents [hide]

Nicholson History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Sources

Nicholson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Nicholson

What does the name Nicholson mean?

The story of the Nicholson family stretches back through time to the Viking settlers who populated the rugged shores of Scotland in the Medieval era. The name Nicholson was derived from from the personal name, Nicholas. Nicholson is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. The surname Nicholson 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 Nicholson lived on the Isle of Skye, which is located on the western coast.

Early Origins of the Nicholson family

The surname Nicholson 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 Nicholson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicholson research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1500, 1607, 1645, 1655, 1694, 1698, 1705, 1713, 1718, 1720, 1725, 1727, 1728 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Nicholson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicholson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations are extremely common among Scottish names dating from this era because the arts of spelling and translation were not yet standardized. Spelling was done by sound, and translation from Gaelic to English was generally quite careless. In different records, Nicholson has been spelled MacNichol, MacNicol, MacNicoll, Nicolson, Nicholson, MacNicholas, MacNickle, MacNickel, MacNickell, MacNiccol, MacNychole and many more.

Early Notables of the Nicholson family

Sir Francis Nicholson (1655-1728) who as a British colonial administrator in America held the following posts: Governor of Maryland 1694-1698

Nicholson World Ranking

the United States, the name Nicholson is the 522^nd most popular surname with an estimated 54,714 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Nicholson is ranked the 386^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,090 people with that name. 3 And in Australia, the name Nicholson is the 248^th popular surname with an estimated 14,006 people with that name. 4 New Zealand ranks Nicholson as 202^nd with 2,748 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Nicholson as 184^th with 29,999 people. 6

Migration of the Nicholson family to Ireland

Some of the Nicholson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nicholson migration to the United States +

Those who made the voyage were greeted with ample opportunity to acquire land and a political climate far away from the oppressive monarchy of the old country. They settled along the east coast of what would become Canada and the United States. In the American War of Independence, those who remained loyal to England traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In this century, many Scots living in North America have begun to recover their rich heritage through festivals, highland games, and Clan societies. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has shown early immigrants bearing the name Nicholson:

Nicholson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Garret Nicholson, who settled in Virginia in 1635
Elizabeth Nicholson, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 8
Garret Nicholson, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 8
Mr. Garret Nicholson, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 9
Eliz Nicholson, who landed in Virginia in 1637 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Nicholson, who arrived in Virginia in 1703 8
Peter Nicholson, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 8
William Nicholson, who arrived in Maryland in 1720 8
George, Nicholson Jr., who arrived in Virginia in 1724 8
Geo Nicholson, who landed in Virginia in 1724 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Nicholson, who landed in America in 1808 8
Duncan Nicholson, who arrived in North Carolina in 1809 8
Christopher Nicholson, aged 31, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 8
J M Nicholson, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1812 8
S Nicholson, aged 26, who arrived in North Carolina in 1812 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson migration to Canada +

Nicholson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Nicholson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Mr. James Nicholson U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Penobscot Association 10
Mr. John Nicholson U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 10
Mr. Robert Nicholson U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 10
Mr. Robert Nicholson U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Nicholson, aged 35, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Samuel" from Liverpool, England
Robert Nicholson, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Samuel" from Liverpool, England
Mr. Richard Nicholson, aged 40 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Manchester" departing 5th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 17th July 1847 but he died on board 11
Dond Nicholson, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1848
A Nicholson, who arrived in Victoria, British Columbia in 1862
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

F Nicholson, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Nicholson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Second Fleet

Mr. John Nicholson, British settler convicted in London, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Salamander" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 7
Mr. Thomas Nicholson, (d. 1791), British settler convicted in Cumberland, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Britannia" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791, may have died on the ship 8

Following the Second Fleet, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Nicholson Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Alice Nicholson, (nèe Stewart), (b. 1770), aged 28, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1827 12

Nicholson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Nicholson, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Richard Nicholson, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Robert Nicholson, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
Mr. Henry Nicholson, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 22nd September 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Miss Elizabeth Nicholson, (b. 1799), aged 27, Irish house servant who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Brothers" on 3rd October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Nicholson 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:

Nicholson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

E. Nicholson, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Brougham" in 1842
Rev. Thomas Dickson Nicholson, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "John Wickliffe" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 23rd March 1848, en-route to Nelson 17
Mrs. Alison Nicholson, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "John Wickliffe" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 23rd March 1848, en-route to Nelson 17
Miss Catherine Ria Nicholson, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "John Wickliffe" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 23rd March 1848, en-route to Nelson 17
Miss Janet Nicholson, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "John Wickliffe" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 23rd March 1848, en-route to Nelson 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Nicholson (post 1700) +

John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (b. 1937), three-time Academy Award winning American actor, film director and producer
David Lawrence Nicholson (1939-2023), American Major League Baseball baseball outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles (1960 and 1962), Chicago White Sox (1963–1965), Houston Astros (1966) and Atlanta Braves (1967)
Robert James "Jim" Nicholson (b. 1938), American Secretary of Veterans Affairs from January 2005 to October 2007
James Joseph Nicholson (1943-2025), Northern Irish footballer, played as a midfielder, played most of his career at Huddersfield Town and earned more than 40 caps for the Northern Ireland national team
Russ Nicholson (d. 2023), British illustrator, best known for his black and white fantasy art
Mavis Nicholson (1930-2022), Welsh writer and radio and television broadcaster from Briton Ferry, Neath, Glamorgan
Ms. Lindsay Nicholson M.B.E., British Editor for Good Housekeeping, appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to Journalism and Equal Opportunities 18
Mrs. Wendy Jane Nicholson M.B.E., British National Lead Nurse for Children, Young People and Families for Public Health England, appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Nursing for Children and Young People 19
John Nicholson (1941-2017), New Zealand racing driver from Auckland
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Nicholson family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Miss Christine Margaret Nicholson (1953-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 20
Mr. Robert Wesley Nicholson (1905-1941), Australian Warrant Electrician from Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 21
John Edward Nicholson, British Sub Lieutenant (E) aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 22
Mr. Thomas W Nicholson (b. 1916), English Cook serving for the Royal Navy from Gateshead, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 23
Mr. Alfred F Nicholson (b. 1912), English Petty Officer serving for the Royal Navy from Alverstoke, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24
... (Another 11 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Nicholson 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 non ferocitate
Motto Translation: Generous not Ferocious

Sources +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 91)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/brothers
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm