Surname MacNichols - Meaning and Origin
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MacNichols: What does the surname MacNichols mean?
The last name MacNichols is of Scottish origin and is derived from the personal name Nicholas, meaning “victory of the people”. The root name is derived from the Greek name “Nikolaos”, meaning “victor of the people”. The name is believed to have come to Scotland sometime after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Within Scotland, the MacNichols clan was most commonly found in the northern area of the country, particularly in Caithness and Sutherland.
The MacNichols clan was considered to be a part of the Galloway clans, which were prominent during the 16th century. The clan was thought to be of Norman origin and often acted as Border Reivers, or thieves living in the English/Scottish border regions. Due to their illicit actions, they garnered the nickname “Sons of the Mist”.
The MacNichols clan is still in existence today, though the name is not as common as it was in the past. It is frequently seen, however, as a surname in Scotland and throughout the British Isles. The MacNichols surname can be found in other parts of the world as well, as people bearing the MacNichols surname emigrated to other countries. In both the United Kingdom and the United States, the last name MacNichols is associated with Scottish ancestry.
Order DNA origin analysisMacNichols: Where does the name MacNichols come from?
The MacNichols surname has no single place of origin; it is a name found in limited numbers in several countries around the world. The name is of Scottish origin, derived from the Scottish Gaelic Mac an Ghoill, which means "son of the stranger". It is most commonly found in the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland, where it is the 28th most common surname.
MacNichols is particularly common in Northern Ireland, where it is the 241st most common surname. It is also found in the United States, mostly in the northeastern states. It is particularly common in New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, and it is the 1321st most common surname in the US. The presence of immigrants from Scotland and Ireland has resulted in a slight increase in the numbers of MacNichols families living in the country.
MacNichols is also common in Australia, where it is the 3745th most common surname. It is most common in the Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, where the name has a long history that dates back to the 1800s, when many families of Scottish and Irish descent migrated to the country.
In Canada, MacNichols is less common, but is still a moderately common surname. It is the 3255th most common surname in the country, and is found in several provinces, mainly Ontario and Nova Scotia.
In total, the MacNichols surname is estimated to be held by over 13,000 people in more than thirty countries around the world.
Variations of the surname MacNichols
The variations, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname MacNichols can range from McNichol, Nicolson, Nickells, Nickle, MacNichol, Nickols, Nicholson, Nicklus, Nichol, Nicol, Nicohl, Nicholl, and Nickelson.
McNichol is a patronymic name most commonly found in Scotland and Ireland. This version of the surname originated upon contact between ancient Celts, an ethnic group native to the British Isles, and the invading Norsemen. The creation of the name came from the combination of the prefix "Mc" meaning son, likely of the ancient Celtic language, and the personal name Nichol, presumably of Norse origin.
This same combination of prefix and personal name has been adapted over time into many distinct variations of the surname, each most commonly found in a distinct region of the British Isles. Perhaps the most well-known version of the surname is the variation Nicholson, a name most typically found in England, Scotland, and Ireland. This version of the surname became a standard name for English and Scots in the Middle Ages and was first recorded in County Durham, England in 1277 where one Robert Nicholassone was noted in records of feudal land registration.
Other spellings such as Nickels and Nickols stem from the Biblical name Nicodemus and were found throughout England primarily during the 16th century. The spelling Nicola persists in Sicily and Calabria Italy and likely comes from the Latin personal name Nicolas. Lastly, variants such as Nicol and Nicohl were found in Scotland primarily in the late 18th century.
Famous people with the name MacNichols
- Adrian MacNichols: British television newsreader.
- Allah MacNichols: American Actor.
- Andrew MacNichols: Scottish footballer.
- Beth MacNichols: Scottish author and former youth worker.
- Glen MacNichols: American musician and actor.
- Jack MacNichols: Chairman of MediaChain.
- Jason MacNichols: Canadian professional ice hockey player.
- Joe MacNichols: American basketball player.
- Kat MacNichols: British model.
- Rory MacNichols: American actor.
- Miriam MacNichols: Canadian road racer.
- Yohan MacNichols: Canadian professional football player.
- Zack MacNichols: American actor and filmmaker.
- Robert MacNichols: American business executive.