Nicholson (surname)

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.^[1] 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
• 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)