Nico
Nico was the 174th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,066 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 290 places. More babies were named Nico in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning victory of the people (short form of Nicholas) · Greek, Italian, Spanish
Say it NEE-koh /ˈnikoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #174 boys, up 144 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,066boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,066 babies
- Total since 1880
- 22,322babies recorded
What does the name Nico mean?
Nico is a short form of Nicholas and of related names such as Nicolás, Nicola and Nikos, according to Wiktionary, and is used for both boys and girls. Nicholas comes from the Greek Nikolaos, made of nike, 'victory', and laos, 'people', as DMNES explains. Wikipedia describes it as a unisex given name, and Niko is another spelling. Wiktionary also records a separate pet form of Nicholas, said NIK-oh, built from Nick plus -o.
νίκη (Ancient Greek, “victory”)λαός (Ancient Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nicholas, Nicolás, Nicola, Nikos, Niko, Nicole.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nico', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Nico (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Nico popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,028 since 1967, 30 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #174 | 2,066 |
| 2020 | #318 | 1,045 |
| 2010 | #594 | 422 |
| 2000 | #843 | 190 |
| 1990 | #621 | 266 |
| 1980 | #3,774 | 11 |
| 1970 | #2,834 | 12 |
| 1960 | #3,938 | 6 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nico, counting every spelling?
Nico is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #116 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #174 for Nico on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,297 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nico | 2,066 | #174 | 8,053 |
| Niko | 1,046 | #325 | 5,452 |
| Nikko | 147 | #1,319 | 877 |
| Nicco | 21 | #4,817 | 185 |
| Nyko | 10 | #8,064 | 86 |
| Nicko | 7 | #10,377 | 28 |
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 Nico?
2,066 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nico (0.57 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Nico 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 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nico.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nico?
About 21,000 people born in the US named Nico are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 17. That makes Nico a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Nico by state
How common Nico was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Rhode Island (3.8×), Connecticut (2.9×), District of Columbia (2.9×), New Jersey (2.6×), Delaware (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, Alabama, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nico: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nico, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nico · Sibling names for Nico
Nico is also a nickname for Nicholas and Nikolas.
Questions about the name Nico
What does Nico mean?
Nico means “victory of the people (short form of Nicholas)” (Greek, Italian, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nico?
Nico was the 174th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,066 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 290 places. More babies were named Nico in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Nico a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Nico in the US.
Where is Nico most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nico was most common in Rhode Island (3.50 per 1,000 boys), followed by Connecticut and District of Columbia.