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?

Nicholson is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that is derived from the personal name Nicholas. The Latin form of this name was Nicolaus, and it was derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which is derived from the words nikan, which means to conquer, and laos, which means people. 1 However, the name is best remembered by an American corruption of his name: Santa Claus. The surname Nicholson uses the patronymic suffix -son.

Early Origins of the Nicholson family

The surname Nicholson was first found in Cumberland and Northumberland where "most families of this name trace." 2

"With few exceptions confined to the northern half of England, being most frequent in Cumberland and Northumberland, and afterwards in Durham and in the adjacent parts of Yorkshire. From the north of England the Nicholsons and Nicolsons have extended into the Scottish border counties, especially into Dumfriesshire." 3

Early History of the Nicholson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nicholson research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1443, 1446, 1489, 1544, 1547, 1655, 1663, 1669, 1683, 1688, 1694, 1698, 1712, 1714, 1720, 1725, 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

Nicholson has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Nicholson have been found, including Nicholson, Nichaelson, Nichalson, Nicherson and others.

Early Notables of the Nicholson family

Sir William Nicholson of Lasswade
Thomas Nicholson of Carnock, 4th Lord Napier (1669-1688), Scottish peer named Lord Napier (1683-1688)
Francis Nicholson (1655-1728), English administrator, Governor of Maryland (1694-1698), Governor of Nova Scotia (1712-1714), and Governor of South Carolina (1720-1725)

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. 4 However, in Canada, the name Nicholson is ranked the 386^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,090 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Nicholson is the 248^th popular surname with an estimated 14,006 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Nicholson as 202^nd with 2,748 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Nicholson as 184^th with 29,999 people. 8

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 79 words (6 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 +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Nicholsons to arrive on North American shores:

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 10
Garret Nicholson, aged 23, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 10
Mr. Garret Nicholson, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Constance" arriving in Virginia in 1635 11
Eliz Nicholson, who landed in Virginia in 1637 10
... (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 10
Peter Nicholson, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 10
William Nicholson, who arrived in Maryland in 1720 10
George, Nicholson Jr., who arrived in Virginia in 1724 10
Geo Nicholson, who landed in Virginia in 1724 10
... (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 10
Duncan Nicholson, who arrived in North Carolina in 1809 10
Christopher Nicholson, aged 31, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 10
J M Nicholson, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
S Nicholson, aged 26, who arrived in North Carolina in 1812 10
... (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 12
Mr. John Nicholson U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1784 12
Mr. Robert Nicholson U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 12
Mr. Robert Nicholson U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 12
... (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 13
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 9
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 10

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 14

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 15
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) 16
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) 16
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 17
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 18
... (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 19
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 19
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 19
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 19
... (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
Sir Sydney Nicholson (1875-1947), English choir director, founder of the Royal College of Music
Elliot Nicholson (1871-1953), English rugby union player
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 20
... (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 21
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 22
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 23
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 24
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 25
... (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: Per Castra ad astra
Motto Translation: Through the camp to the stars.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"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
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