Nicely
A rare English surname that most likely began as a nickname from the adverb “nicely,” meaning neat, proper, or pleasingly done.
The #6,998 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 64,470 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nicely is best understood as an English nickname surname formed from the adverb and adjective set around “nice/nicely.” In older English, “nice” could mean refined, dainty, particular, or neatly done, so the surname probably started as a label for someone seen as precise, tidy, or well-mannered. The name is not usually treated as an occupational surname; it belongs with other surnames that grew from descriptive words and adverbs.
History
The surname is rare and appears chiefly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States. Because it is uncommon, historical records are often sparse, and it may have arisen independently in more than one place from a descriptive byname. The 19th-century surname literature also grouped it with a set of English adverb-like surnames such as Neatly and Likely, which supports a nickname-style origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
It’s one of a small cluster of English surnames that look like ordinary adverbs, which makes them especially memorable in lists of family names.
From the historical record
“as are Norwegian. Those which are Celtic can at once be detected, but it is very doubtful whether it is possible so nicely to separate such as are Norse from such as are Danish. After the Norman Conquest occur occasional Norman names, and these become more frequent as time goes on. These latter are the sole that…”
— Family Names and their Story