Nicolson is a patronymic surname meaning "son of Nicholas". There are alternate spellings. Notable people with the surname include:

  • Adam Nicolson (born 1957), English author
  • Alexander Nicolson (1827–1893), Scottish lawyer
  • Arthur Nicolson, 1st Baron Carnock (1849–1928), British diplomat and politician
  • Benedict Nicolson (1914–1978), British art historian and author
  • Charles Hope Nicolson (1829–1898), Scottish settler, lawman and police magistrate in the colony of Victoria
  • Dan Henry Nicolson (1933–2016), American botanist
  • David Nicolson (1922–1996), British business executive and politician
  • David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock (1920–2008), British peer and solicitor
  • Don Nicolson (born 1939), Australian rules footballer
  • Donald Nicolson (died between 1698 and 1702), Scottish clergyman
  • Edward Nicolson (born 1964), English cricketer
  • Garth L. Nicolson (born 1943), American biochemist
  • Gerda Nicolson (1937–1992), Australian actress
  • Harold Nicolson (1886–1968), British diplomat, politician and writer
  • Harry Nicolson (born 2001), Scottish footballer
  • Helen Nicolson (1924–2021), Scottish child psychiatrist
  • Hugo Nicolson, English record producer and engineer
  • Iain Nicolson (born 1976), Scottish footballer
  • Ian Nicolson (born 1986), Zimbabwean cricketer
  • James Nicolson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Jamie Nicolson (1971–1994), Australian boxer
  • John Nicolson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Joseph Nicolson (1706–1777), English antiquarian
  • Juliet Nicolson (born 1954), British author and journalist
  • Ken Nicolson (1902–1975), Australian rules footballer
  • Lewis Nicolson (born 2004), Scottish footballer
  • Lorne Nicolson (1936–2021), Canadian educator and political figure
  • Marianne Nicolson (born 1969), Canadian First Nations visual artist
  • Marjorie Hope Nicolson (1894–1981), American literary scholar
  • Mark Nicolson, American tenor and voice teacher
  • Max Nicolson (1917–1997), Australian rules footballer
  • Nigel Nicolson (1917–2004), British publisher, writer and politician
  • Phyllis Nicolson (1917–1968), British mathematician
  • Skye Nicolson (born 1995), Australian professional boxer
  • Thomas Nicolson (disambiguation), multiple people
  • Tom Nicolson (1879–1951), British athlete
  • Violet Nicolson (1865–1904), British poet
  • William Nicolson (1655–1727), British bishop

Fictional characters

  • Georgia Nicolson

See also

  • Nicolson Institute, school on the Isle of Lewis
  • Clan Nicolson, Scottish clan
  • Clan MacNeacail, Scottish clan