The Nickerson surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 15,970 people carried this name — #2,283 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 18,500 people counted. That is up 4% from 15,409 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Nickerson surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From a diminutive of the given name Nicholas + -son.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Nickerson» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

121 families named Nickerson, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 674 people lived in those households, 5.6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 79
New York 14
Maine 9
Connecticut 9
Vermont 4
New Hampshire 2
Maryland 2
South Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 255 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Nickerson in American newspapers,
1905–1921.

Newspaper page from Rock Island Argus carrying the name Nickerson
Rock Island Argus 1905-09-06
Newspaper page from Lander Evening Post carrying the name Nickerson
Lander Evening Post 1921-10-06
Newspaper page from Lander Evening Post carrying the name Nickerson
Lander Evening Post 1921-10-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 114,345 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Nickerson in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1960s.

314 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nickerson. The most, 78, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 160
Western Australia 53
Victoria 46
Queensland 43
ACT (Canberra) 6
South Australia 5
Tasmania 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Nickerson.

Who carried it

People named Nickerson,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George Nickerson d. 1976
  • William Nickerson 1604–1690
  • Joseph Nickerson 1647–1725
  • William Nickerson 1668–1742
  • Josiah Nickerson 1685–1737
  • William Nickerson 1701–1763

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Nickerson,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,538 records

1,538 records of the Nickerson name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 568
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 271
  • Other U.S. records 699
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ronald William Nickerson

    Born 1944; from Camden, New Jersey. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1965 in South Vietnam. Buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ernest H. Nickerson

    Born 1918 in California. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles; farmer from Santa Barbara County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charles Nickerson

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the England from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; book-keeper. From Liverpool, Canada; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,538 records for Nickerson in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada5,716 records

5,716 records of the Nickerson name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 5,604
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 33
  • Other Canadian records 79
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Nellie Nickerson

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 60.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Gerald L. Nickerson

    Buried in 1988 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 66.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Otis Keith Nickerson

    Died in service in 1942.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 5,716 records for Nickerson in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia24 records

24 records of the Nickerson name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 12
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 12
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Nickerson

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Routenburn, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Annie Nickerson

    Arrived in Queensland in 1915 aboard the Limerick.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen E. Nickerson

    Came to Queensland as an immigrant in 1915 aboard the Limerick, aged 22.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 24 records for Nickerson in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Nickerson name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John William Nickerson

    Died 1930, aged 72; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Eleanor Nickerson

    Died 1907, aged 46; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom2 records

2 records of the Nickerson name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Nickerson

    Buried in 1819 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 45.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Nickerson

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Nickerson.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Nickerson is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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