The name "Nizas" derived from the name of a Latin nobleman Nisius whose domain is buried under the modern village. Nizas is mentioned in the Carolingian texts (884 AD) as a villa. Following the collapse of the Carolingian empire, Occitanian peasantry who, prior to 950 lived mostly at dispersed farms, regrouped around castles of local nobles for protection. Thus, the fortified villages or "castra" in Occitan, appeared between 950 and 1050. "Castro Nizacio" is mentioned in time of crusades (1094–1114). The circulade is well preserved in the historical center of the village called quartier de la Villette.