Show ContentsNickle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Nickle surname comes from the German personal name Nikolaus.

Early Origins of the Nickle family

The surname Nickle was first found in Austria, where the family rose to prominence early in the mediaeval era. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. The name refers to St. Nickolaus, the patron saint of seafaring merchants and the protector of children.

Early History of the Nickle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nickle research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1664, 1717, 1745, 1756, 1761, 1766 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Nickle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nickle Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Nickle include Nickel, Nikel, Nickl, Nickle, Nickele, Nickels, Nickelsen, Nickelson, Nicol, Nicols, Nicolsen, Nicolson, Nichol, Nicholl, Nichols, Nicholls, Nicholson, Nichaelsen, Nickells, Nickell, Nichelmann, Nickelmann, Nichelman and many more.

Early Notables of the Nickle family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nickle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nickle Ranking

In the United States, the name Nickle is the 14,223rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Nickle migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Nickle were

Nickle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Nickle, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 [2]
  • William Nickle, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 [2]

Australia Nickle migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Nickle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Maria Nickle, aged 23, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Aliquis"


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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