The history of the Nickinson name began with the ancient
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) However, the name is best remembered by an American corruption of his name: Santa Claus. The surname Nickinson uses the
patronymic suffix
-son. Early Origins of the Nickinson family
The surname Nickinson was first found in
Cumberland and
Northumberland where "most families of this name trace."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Early History of the Nickinson family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nickinson research.
Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1296, 1669, 1688, 1683, 1688, 1655, 1728, 1694, 1698, 1712, 1714, 1720 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Nickinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Nickinson Spelling Variations
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore,
spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Nickinson family name include Nicholson, Nichaelson, Nichalson, Nicherson and others.
Early Notables of the Nickinson family (pre 1700)
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nickinson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Nickinson family to Ireland
Some of the Nickinson family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 145 words (10 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 Nickinson family to the New World and Oceana
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for
Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Nickinson surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Garret Nicholson, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Alex Nicholson, who settled in Virginia in 1650; as well as George, Jane, John, Phillip Nicholson also settled in Virginia.
The Nickinson 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.