Explore the Family Name Nicolas
The meaning of Nicolas
1. Spanish (Nicolás), French, Walloon, Breton, and West Indian (mainly Haiti): from the personal name Nicolás (Spanish), Nicolas (French, Breton), from Greek Nikolaos (see Nicholas). In France, this surname is most common in Brittany. 2. English (southern England and Glamorgan): variant of Nicholas. 3. Greek: from a variant of the personal name Nikola(o)s (see Nicholas) or, in most cases, an (American) shortened form of any of various Greek derivatives of this personal name, e.g. Nikolaidis or Nikolaides, which are also spelled Nicolaidis and Nicolaides. See also Nikolas, compare Nicola. 4. Americanized form of Croatian and Serbian Nikolaš (see Nikolas), or of any of various Serbian, Macedonian, or Bulgarian patronymics from the personal name Nikola ‘Nicholas’; see Nickolas, compare Nicola. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Alberto, Angelito, Emilio, Fernando, Francisco, Manuel, Mario, Ricardo, Rodolfo, Ruben, Alfredo, Angel. French Luc, Pierre, Andre, Georges, Jacques, Marcellin, Yves, Adrien, Alain, Camille, Celina, Dominique.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nicolas in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Nicolas has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 5525th, but by 2010, it had risen in rank to 3951st, marking an increase of 28.49 percent. The total count of individuals bearing the surname also grew from 5783 to 9006 during this time, a rise of 55.73 percent. Consequently, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also rose by 42.52 percent from 2.14 in 2000 to 3.05 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,525 | #3,951 | 28.49% |
| Count | 5,783 | 9,006 | 55.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.14 | 3.05 | 42.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nicolas
In terms of ethnicity, the distribution of the surname Nicolas based on the Decennial U.S. Census data changed over the decade. Notably, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic with this surname grew by 36.12 percent from 26.11 percent in 2000 to 35.54 percent in 2010. Those identifying as Black also saw a slight increase from 23.43 percent to 25.73 percent. However, there were decreases across other ethnic identities. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased by 17.38 percent, while the percentage of those identifying as White dropped by 23.95 percent. The category of Two or more races saw a decrease of 41.33 percent, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a significant reduction of 60.61 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 26.11% | 35.54% | 36.12% |
| Black | 23.43% | 25.73% | 9.82% |
| White | 23.67% | 18% | -23.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 21.46% | 17.73% | -17.38% |
| Two or More Races | 4.67% | 2.74% | -41.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.26% | -60.61% |
Nicolas 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 Nicolas is French & German, which comprises 20.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Filipino & Austronesian (16.0%) and British & Irish (15.5%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Levantine, Indigenous American, Nigerian, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Filipino & Austronesian | 16.0% |
| British & Irish | 15.5% |
| Other | 48.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Nicolas
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 Nicolas have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Philippines.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 20.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 20.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 20.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 20.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 19.30% |
What Nicolas 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 Nicolas 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-U152 and Q-M3, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Godoy, Bueno, Bernal, Cabrera, Alvarez, Arevalo, Francisco, Mena, Henriquez, Leon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Nicolas surname are: N, U2_3_4_7_8_9, 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 Nicolas 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.
"Nicolas" Surname 37.1%
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.
"Nicolas" Surname 26.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Nicolas" Surname 24.0%
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.
"Nicolas" Surname 14.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Nicolas?
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 Nicolas are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition