Nicholas
Nicholas was the 112th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,115 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 5th; the most babies were born in 1995 (29,160). Over the last ten years it has moved down 50 places. More babies were named Nicholas in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning victory of the people · Greek
Say it NIK-uh-luhs /ˈnɪkələs/
- Rank in 2025
- #112 boys, down 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,115boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 199529,160 babies
- Total since 1880
- 929,199babies recorded
What does the name Nicholas mean?
Nicholas comes from the Greek Nikolaos, made of nike, 'victory', and laos, 'people'. Its fame rests on Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, whose legend of secret gift-giving grew into Santa Claus, as DMNES notes. The name spread widely in medieval Europe; DMNES finds it in England from the 12th century, along with short forms such as Colin and Nic that became surnames. Nick, Nico, Nikolai and Klaus are among its many forms.
νίκη (Ancient Greek, “victory”)λαός (Ancient Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nick, Nico, Nicolas, Nikolai, Niklaus, Klaus, Colin, Nicole.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nicholas', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Nicholas
The usual nicknames for Nicholas are Nick, Nicky and Nico. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Nicholas in the last five years, 48 were named Nico, against 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick · also for Nikolas | Traditional | #1,447 | 667 |
| Nicky · also for Nicole, Nick | Traditional | #9,456 | 69 |
| Nico · also for Nikolas | Modern | #174 | 8,053 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Nicholass go by each one.
Nicholas popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,152 since 1916, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #112 | 3,115 |
| 2020 | #87 | 4,065 |
| 2010 | #37 | 9,653 |
| 2000 | #6 | 24,653 |
| 1990 | #14 | 27,913 |
| 1980 | #17 | 21,018 |
| 1970 | #123 | 2,704 |
| 1960 | #153 | 2,298 |
| 1950 | #124 | 2,176 |
| 1940 | #154 | 1,102 |
| 1930 | #147 | 1,131 |
| 1920 | #124 | 1,354 |
| 1910 | #137 | 235 |
| 1900 | #200 | 95 |
| 1890 | #175 | 78 |
| 1880 | #178 | 73 |
How popular is Nicholas, counting every spelling?
Nicholas is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #65 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #112 for Nicholas on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,168 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas | 3,115 | #112 | 16,923 |
| Nicolas | 2,053 | #177 | 9,949 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Nicholas?
3,115 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nicholas (0.86 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Nicholas born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nicholas.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nicholas?
About 837,500 people born in the US named Nicholas are alive today, with a median age of 32; half are between 24 and 41. That makes Nicholas mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Nicholas by state
How common Nicholas was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (2.7×), Delaware (2.5×), Connecticut (2.4×), Rhode Island (2.2×), New York (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Wyoming, Hawaii.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nicholas: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nicholas, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nicholas · Sibling names for Nicholas
Questions about the name Nicholas
What does Nicholas mean?
Nicholas means “victory of the people” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nicholas?
Nicholas was the 112th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,115 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 5th; the most babies were born in 1995 (29,160). Over the last ten years it has moved down 50 places. More babies were named Nicholas in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Nicholas a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Nicholas in the US.
Where is Nicholas most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nicholas was most common in New Jersey (5.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by Delaware and Connecticut.