Nicole
Nicole was the 383rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 803 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1985 (22,966). Over the last ten years it has moved down 229 places. More babies were named Nicole in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning victory of the people (feminine of Nicholas) · Greek, French
Say it nih-KOHL /nɪˈkoʊl/
- Rank in 2025
- #383 girls, down 117 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 803girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198522,966 babies
- Total since 1880
- 596,465babies recorded
What does the name Nicole mean?
Nicole is the French feminine of Nicolas (Nicholas). DMNES derives Nicholas from Greek nikē, "victory", and laos, "people", and records feminine forms such as Nichola and Coleta in medieval England. Nicole was taken into English from French in the 20th century and became one of the most common girls' names in the US in the 1970s and 1980s.
νίκη (Ancient Greek, “victory”)λαός (Ancient Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nicola, Nichole, Nikki, Colette, Nicholas.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nicole', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicole', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', DMNES, Durham University
Nicknames for Nicole
The usual nicknames for Nicole are Nikki, Nicky and Nic. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Nicole in the last five years, 6 were named Nikki, against 5 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikki | Traditional | #3,504 | 272 |
| Nicky · also for Nicholas, Nick | Traditional | — | 38 |
| Nic · also for Dominic | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Nicoles go by each one.
Nicole popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,965 since 1961.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #383 | 803 |
| 2020 | #266 | 1,163 |
| 2010 | #123 | 2,570 |
| 2000 | #31 | 8,563 |
| 1990 | #13 | 17,954 |
| 1980 | #7 | 19,917 |
| 1970 | #30 | 10,691 |
| 1960 | #648 | 243 |
| 1950 | #955 | 89 |
| 1940 | #1,578 | 25 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nicole, counting every spelling?
Nicole is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #346 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #383 for Nicole on its own. Together these spellings went to 959 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicole | 803 | #383 | 4,660 |
| Nicolle | 65 | #2,678 | 256 |
| Nichole | 46 | #3,373 | 248 |
| Nicol | 16 | #7,052 | 105 |
| Nikole | 18 | #6,487 | 90 |
| Nikol | 11 | #9,293 | 39 |
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 Nicole?
803 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nicole (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nicole 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 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nicole.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nicole?
About 572,900 people born in the US named Nicole are alive today, with a median age of 40; half are between 32 and 47. That makes Nicole 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.
Nicole by state
How common Nicole was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (2.3×), Nevada (1.9×), Illinois (1.8×), California (1.7×), Arizona (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Alabama, Iowa.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nicole: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nicole, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nicole · Sibling names for Nicole
Questions about the name Nicole
What does Nicole mean?
Nicole means “victory of the people (feminine of Nicholas)” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nicole?
Nicole was the 383rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 803 babies. Its best year was 1982, when it ranked 6th; the most babies were born in 1985 (22,966). Over the last ten years it has moved down 229 places. More babies were named Nicole in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Nicole a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nicole in the US.
Where is Nicole most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nicole was most common in Florida (1.31 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and Illinois.