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Nicholson Family History

Nicholson Surname Meaning

English (northern) and Scottish: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Nic(h)olas or the vernacular form Nic(h)ol + son; see Nichol Nicholas.

In Scotland, the name was sometimes substituted for McNichol.

Americanized form of Danish, Norwegian, and North German Nicolaisen or Nikolaisen or of the Swedish cognate Niklasson patronymics from equivalents of the personal name Nicholas.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Nicholson family from?

You can see how Nicholson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nicholson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Nicholson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 63 Nicholson families living in New York. This was about 12% of all the recorded Nicholson's in USA. New York had the highest population of Nicholson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nicholson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Nicholson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nicholson. 16% of Nicholson men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Nicholson women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nicholson were Carpenter and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Nicholson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    16%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Nicholson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 635,000 census records available for the last name Nicholson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nicholson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Nicholson

Passenger Lists

There are 88,000 immigration records available for the last name Nicholson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nicholson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 83,000 military records available for the last name Nicholson. For the veterans among your Nicholson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nicholson military records

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