Nicholas
A surname from the given name Nicholas, ultimately meaning “victory of the people.”
The #1,258 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,057 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nicholas is a surname formed from the medieval personal name Nicholas, itself from Greek Nikolaos. That name combines nikē, meaning “victory,” with laos, meaning “people,” so the underlying sense is “victory of the people.” In English surname-making, it was used for someone identified as the son or descendant of a man named Nicholas, and it also sits behind several related forms such as Nicholl, Nichols, Nicholson, and Nickson.
History
The surname appears in medieval records and is treated by 19th-century surname writers as a straightforward derivative of the Christian name. It spread widely in England because Nicholas was a common baptismal name after the Middle Ages, helped by the popularity of St. Nicholas. Related surname forms developed across Britain and later in North America, where Nicholas remains well established.
Origin
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Fun fact
The same name gave English the familiar pet form “Nick,” which also helped generate a whole family of surnames.
From the historical record
“Cp. Nicol(l. NICHOLAS = Nicolas, q.v. This clerk was cleped hende Nicholas. —Chaucer, The Millire his Tale, 13. N!cH§Lfgs}NiCHOL(L)'s(Son) NICHOLSON, Nichol's Son v.Nichol(l.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)