2000
#174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141,936
First available Census row
Per 100,000 52.62
Common Last name
Nichols
An English surname derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 156,748 Americans carry the last name Nichols. That puts it at #206 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 45.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,187 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nichols surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Nichols with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
157K
1 in 2,187
Census rank
#206
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
45.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 136,692 bearers of the surname Nichols in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 45.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 206th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nichols, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nichols
The surname Nichols is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a patronymic name derived from the medieval English personal name "Nicholas," which was ultimately derived from the Greek name "Nikolaos," meaning "victor of the people."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nichols can be found in various medieval records and documents from the 13th century onwards. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Nichol, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212.
The name Nichols is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Nicholshayes in Devon and Nicholsfield in Lincolnshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Nichols who owned or resided in those areas.
In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may refer to individuals with the name Nichols or its variants, such as Nicol and Nichol.
One notable bearer of the surname Nichols was Sir Edward Nichols (1555-1616), an English soldier and politician who served as Lieutenant of the Tower of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was John Nichols (1745-1826), an English printer, author, and antiquarian who published numerous works on English history and literature. He is best known for his "Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica," a collection of topographical works on various counties in England.
In the literary world, Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) was a renowned English author, playwright, and composer. He was known for his witty and humorous novels, as well as his works on gardening and travel.
The American writer and journalist Anne Nichols (1891-1966) achieved fame as the author of the hit Broadway play "Abie's Irish Rose," which had a record-breaking run of over 2,500 performances in the 1920s.
In the field of science, Thomas Nichols (1815-1901) was a distinguished English mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the study of differential equations and served as the Regius Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the surname Nichols throughout history, showcasing the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nichols
Among Census respondents with the surname Nichols, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nichols bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nichols surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 108,450
- Black or African American11.7% · 15,947
- Two or more races4.3% · 5,823
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4,674
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 905
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 893
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nichols
Nichols appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145,584
+3,648 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 49.35
Rank movement Down 15 places
2020
#206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136,692
-8,892 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 45.73
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #174 | 141,936 | 52.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #189 | 145,584 | 49.35 | +3,648 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 15 places |
| 2020 | #206 | 136,692 | 45.73 | -8,892 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 17 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nichols surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #189 | #206 | -9.0% |
| Count | 145,584 | 136,692 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 49.35 | 45.73 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nichols bearers went from 145,584 to 136,692 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #189 to #206.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Nichols
FAQ
Nichols surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nichols?
Name Census estimates that about 156,748 living Americans carry the surname Nichols. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,187 residents.
How common is Nichols?
Nichols ranks #206 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 45.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 46 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 136,692 people with the surname Nichols. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (156,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 45.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 45.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 46 of them to have the surname Nichols.
Has Nichols become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nichols went from 145,584 recorded bearers to 136,692. That is a decrease of 8,892 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #189 to #206.
What does the Census say about the background of Nichols?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nichols, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nichols in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (108,450 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nichols appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (11.7%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nichols (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nichols mean?
An English surname derived from the given name Nicholas, which means "victory of the people." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nichols (45.73 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Nichols?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.