Nicholson is a Germanic and Scottish surname. It is a patronymic form of the given name Nichol, which was a common medieval form of Nicholas. Notable people with the surname include:

  • Aideen Nicholson (1927–2019), Irish-born Canadian politician
  • A. J. Nicholson (born 1983), American football linebacker
  • Alexander Malcolm Nicholson (1900–1991), Canadian clergyman, farmer, and politician
  • Alfred O. P. Nicholson (1808–1876), United States Senator from Tennessee
  • Alistair Nicholson (born 1978), Australian rules footballer
  • Anna Nicholson (born 1995), British para-athlete
  • Anne-Marie Nicholson (born 1991), English singer and songwriter known as Anne-Marie (singer)
  • Archibald Keightley Nicholson (1871–1937), British ecclesiastical stained-glass maker
  • Arthur D. Nicholson, (1947–1985) U.S. Army officer
  • Asenath Nicholson (1792–1855), American activist, writer and philanthropist
  • Barry Nicholson (born 1978), Scottish footballer
  • Ben Nicholson (1894–1982), English abstract painter (married to Winifred Nicholson)
  • Bill Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Bob Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Bobby Nicholson (1918–1993), American musician and actor
  • Bruce Nicholson, special effects artist
  • Sir Charles Nicholson (1808–1903), British–Australian politician
  • Sir Charles Nicholson, 2nd Baronet (1867–1949), British ecclesiastical architect
  • Charles Ernest Nicholson, (1868–1954) British yacht designer
  • Chris Nicholson (athlete) (born 1967), New Zealand Olympian, competing in cycling and speed skating
  • Chris Nicholson (magician), British close up magician
  • Chris Nicholson (sailor) (born 1969), Australian Olympic yachtsman
  • Chris Nicholson (judge) (born 1945), South African cricketer and jurist
  • Christopher Nicholson (architect) (1904–1948), British architect and designer
  • Claude Nicholson (rugby league) (1892–1951), Australian rugby league footballer of the 1910s
  • Claude Nicholson (British Army), (1898–1943) British Brigadier, in command of Calais during the Siege of Calais (1940)
  • Danell Nicholson (born 1967), American boxer
  • David Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • DeCarlos Nicholson (born 2001), American football player
  • Donald Nicholson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Donte Nicholson (born 1981), American NFL football player
  • Ed Nicholson (1923–1987), Canadian ice hockey player
  • Edward Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Edward Max Nicholson (1904–2003), founder of World Wildlife Fund
  • Edward Williams Byron Nicholson (1849–1912), Bodley's Librarian
  • Eliza Jane Nicholson (1843–1896), American journalist
  • Elliot Nicholson (1871–1953), English rugby union player
  • Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (born 1941), British politician
  • Rev Ernest Nicholson (1938–2013), British biblical scholar
  • Florence I. Nicholson (1866–1931), English vegetarianism activist
  • Francis Nicholson (1655–1727/8), British military officer and colonial governor
  • Francis Nicholson (painter) (1753–1844), British artist
  • Frank Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Geoff Nicholson (1953–2025), British novelist and non-fiction writer
  • George Nicholson (printer) (1760–1825), British printer
  • George Nicholson (footballer), English footballer
  • Sir Godfrey Nicholson (1901–1991), British Conservative Party politician
  • Grace Nicholson (1877–1948), American art collector and art dealer
  • Graham Nicholson (born 2002), American football player
  • Harold James Nicholson (born 1950), CIA officer convicted of spying for Russia
  • Helen Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Henry Alleyne Nicholson (1816–1878), British paleontologist and zoologist
  • Howard Nicholson (1912–2014), English physician
  • Isaac R. Nicholson (1789/1790–1844), associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi
  • J. C. Nicholson (born 1942), American judge
  • Jack Nicholson (born 1937), American actor
  • Jack Nicholson (footballer) (1892–1967), Australian rules footballer
  • James W. Nicholson (1821–1887), U.S. Navy officer during Mexican–American War and Civil War
  • Jenny Nicholson, American video essayist
  • Jim Nicholson (U.S. politician) (born 1938), United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
  • Jimmy Nicholson (Northern Irish footballer), (1943–2025) Northern Irish footballer
  • Joe Nicholson (1898–1978), English footballer
  • John Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Joseph Hopper Nicholson (1770–1817), American lawyer, jurist, and politician from Maryland
  • Joseph Shield Nicholson (1850–1927), English economist
  • Joyce Nicholson (1919–2011), Australian author
  • Julianne Nicholson (born 1971), American actress
  • Julie Nicholson, British author and former vicar
  • John Kenyon Nicholson, American playwright
  • Ken Nicholson, video game developer and Windows graphics pioneer
  • Kevin Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Leonard Nicholson (1904–1983), tenth Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1951–1959)
  • Lillie May Nicholson (1884–1964), American painter
  • Lorna Schultz Nicholson, Canadian children's writer
  • Lorraine Nicholson, American actress, daughter of Jack Nicholson
  • Lawson Nicholson (1866–1947), Washington state pioneer, engineer, and surveyor
  • Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (1890–1965), American pulp magazine writer and comic book pioneer
  • Marie Nicholson (born 1976), Swedish politician
  • Marjorie Nicholson (1914–1997), British activist
  • Matthew Nicholson (born 1974), Australian cricketer
  • Mavis Nicholson (1930–2022), Welsh writer and radio and television broadcaster
  • Meredith Nicholson (1866–1947), American author and politician
  • Meredith Merle Nicholson (1913–2005), American cinematographer
  • Michael Nicholson (1937–2016), English journalist
  • Michael Nicholson (academic) (born 1941), American academic
  • Montae Nicholson (born 1995), American football player
  • Nancy Nicholson (1899–1977), British painter and fabric designer
  • Natalie Nicholson (born 1976), American curler
  • Neil Nicholson (cricketer), (English cricketer)
  • Nigel Nicholson, British psychologist
  • Norman Nicholson (1914–1987), English poet
  • Ossie Nicholson (1906–1965), Australian cyclist
  • Parson Nicholson (1863–1917), American Major League Baseball player
  • Paul Nicholson (ice hockey) (1954–2011), Canadian ice hockey forward
  • Paul Nicholson (industrialist) (born 1938), British industrialist
  • Paul Nicholson (darts player) (born 1979), English-born Australian darts player
  • Peter Nicholson (architect) (1765–1844), British architect, engineer and mathematician
  • Peter Nicholson (cartoonist) (born 1946), Australian political cartoonist
  • Ray Nicholson (born 1992), American actor
  • Reginald Nicholson (1869–1946), English politician
  • Reginald F. Nicholson (1852–1939), United States Navy admiral
  • Reynold A. Nicholson (1868–1945), British orientalist
  • Rhys Nicholson (born 1990), Australian comedian and actor
  • Richard Nicholson (composer) (c1570–1639), English composer
  • Richard Nicholson (Paralympian) (dates unknown), Australian paralympics competitor
  • Rob Nicholson (musician) (born 1969), also known as "Blasko", American rock music performer
  • Rob Nicholson (politician) (born 1952), Canadian Member of Parliament
  • Robert Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Robert Nicholson (judge), Australian jurist
  • Robert Nicholson (Indian Army officer) (1745–1821), British military officer in Bombay
  • Robert Nicholson (piper) (1798–1842), Northumbrian piper
  • Robert B. Nicholson (1863–1917), businessman in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
  • Roscoe Nicholson (1887–1959), American surveyor and conservationist
  • Ross Nicholson (born 1975), New Zealand football goalkeeper
  • Roxie Nicholson (born 1950), U.S. Department of Labor welfare policy analyst
  • Russ Nicholson, British illustrator
  • Samuel Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Seth Barnes Nicholson (1891–1963), American astronomer
  • Shane Nicholson (footballer) (born 1970), English footballer
  • Sharon Nicholson, American climatologist
  • Simon Nicholson, British painter and sculptor
  • Skonk Nicholson (1917–2011), South African rugby coach
  • Stan Nicholson, rugby league footballer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s
  • Stevie Nicholson (born 1983), Australian television personality
  • Stuart Nicholson (footballer) (1987), English footballer
  • Stuart Nicholson (jazz historian) (1948), British music journalist, music critic, and academic
  • Stuart Nicholson, vocalist and songwriter with English progressive rock band Galahad (band)
  • Sir Sydney Nicholson (1875–1947), English choir director, organist, composer, founder of the Royal College of Music
  • Tahveon Nicholson (born 2000), American football player
  • Thomas Nicolson (disambiguation), several people
  • Tony Nicholson (1938–1985), English cricketer
  • Viv Nicholson (1936–2015), British gambling winner and tabloid target
  • Wayne L. Nicholson, American microbiologist and scientist
  • William Nicholson (disambiguation), several people
  • Winifred Nicholson (née Roberts) (1893–1981), English painter (married to Ben Nicholson)

See also

  • Justice Nicholson (disambiguation)

References