Nickelson
A patronymic surname meaning “son of Nickel,” a pet form of Nicholas.
The #8,936 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 84,265 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nickelson is a patronymic surname formed from Nickel, a familiar medieval diminutive of Nicholas, plus -son, meaning “son of.” In effect, it means “son of Nickel” or “son of Nicholas.” The ultimate root of Nicholas is the Greek name Nikolaos, usually explained as “victory of the people.”
History
The surname appears in English records by the 18th century in the excerpts provided, though the underlying nickname Nickel is much older and widespread in German-speaking areas and in northern European naming traditions. In English usage, surnames built from pet forms of given names often developed independently in more than one place, so Nickelson may reflect local spelling habits as much as a single family line. Modern bearers are relatively uncommon in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Nickel was a common pet form of Nicholas, Nickelson can be viewed as a surname with two layers of familiarity: a nickname root plus the son suffix.
From the historical record
“Reg. Univ. Oxf. vol. iL pt. ii. p. 157. 1759. Married'-John Nickelson and Mary Knapton : St. Geo. Han. Sq. t. 85. Digitized by”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)