Clan Nicolson
| Clan Nicolson | |
|---|---|
| MacNeacail | |
 |
|
| Motto | Generositate (By generosity) |
| Profile | |
| Plant badge | Sprig of juniper |
| Chief | |
 |
|
| David Nicolson | |
| 4th Baron Carnock | |
Clan Nicolson is a Lowland Scottish clan. The clan claims descent from an Edinburgh lawyer who lived in the 16th century and from a distinguished line of Aberdeen merchants who preceded him. During the mid-1980s David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock was recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms as the chief of Clan Nicolson. Around the same time, a Nicolson who claimed descent from the Highland clan of "Nicolsons" historically centred on Skye, petitioned the Lord Lyon King of Arms to be recognised as chief of his own clan. The Lord Lyon King of Arms accepted this man's petition on the condition he took the surname MacNeacail. In consequence there are two Scottish clans with similar names—the lowland Clan Nicolson and the highland Clan MacNeacail.
The surname Nicolson means "son of Nicol". The personal name Nicol is a diminutive of Nicholas, derived from the Greek Νικόλαος meaning "victory people". The personal name Nicol was first brought to the British Isles by the Normans.Nicholas was a very common mediaeval name and is found in many different forms as a surname. The surname is shared by two Scottish clans—the lowland Clan Nicolson and the unrelated Clan MacNeacail of Skye. This is because in late 17th century members of Clan MacNeacail began to Anglicise their Gaelic name to Nicolson.
According to the heraldry of the Clan Nicolson and the Clan MacNeacail the two clans are linked: The chiefs of both clans have a gold shield with birds of prey, with falcons for the Nicolsons and hawks for the MacNeacails. However, there is little genealogical evidence to support a link between the chiefs of the two clans. The Nicolsons are of Norse descent and the name could be derived from the personal name of Olsen. In Scottish Gaelic, Nic signifies daughter. The Norse raided all around the coast of Scotland as well as the north of England, and the name Nicolson can also be found throughout Tyneside and Yorkshire in England. Some Norsemen settled on the north coast of France from where their Norman descendants came over in the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century, with some settling in Scotland during the reign of David I of Scotland.
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