Explore the Family Name Nichols
The meaning of Nichols
1. English: variant of Nichol, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. In North America, this surname has absorbed various cognates from other languages, e.g. Croatian and Serbian Nikolić (see Nikolic); see also below. 2. Americanized form of various like-sounding Jewish surnames.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nichols in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Nichols has had a slight dip between 2000 and 2010. While the rank slipped from 174 to 189, marking an 8.62% decrease, the actual count of people with the Nichols surname slightly increased by 2.57%, going from 141,936 in 2000 to 145,584 in 2010. However, when adjusted for population growth, the proportion per 100k people decreased by 6.21%, indicating that the name's popularity isn't keeping pace with the overall population increase.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #174 | #189 | -8.62% |
| Count | 141,936 | 145,584 | 2.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 52.62 | 49.35 | -6.21% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nichols
Moving to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Nichols between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Hispanic saw the greatest increase, rising by 43.79%. There were also increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (up 26.83%), Two or more races (up 26.75%), Black (up 4.58%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (up 10.14%). On the other hand, there was a minor decrease in the percentage identifying as White, which dropped by 2.22%. This indicates a diversification in the ethnic identities associated with the surname over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.29% | 82.42% | -2.22% |
| Black | 11.36% | 11.88% | 4.58% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 2.43% | 43.79% |
| Two or More Races | 1.57% | 1.99% | 26.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.76% | 10.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.52% | 26.83% |
Nichols ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Nichols is British & Irish, which comprises 53.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.7%) and Eastern European (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.3% |
| French & German | 23.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.1% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Nichols
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Nichols have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
What Nichols haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Nichols is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Smith, Davis, Clark, Brown, Wilson, Thomas, Taylor, Martin, Evans, Thompson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Nichols surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Nichols have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Nichols" Surname 44.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Nichols" Surname 26.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Nichols" Surname 22.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Nichols" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Nichols?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Nichols are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition