Nikolai
Nikolai was the 605th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 469 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 474th; the most babies were born in 2016 (639). Over the last ten years it has moved down 129 places. More babies were named Nikolai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning victory of the people (Russian Nicholas) · Greek, Russian
Say it NIK-uh-lye /ˈnɪkəlaɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #605 boys, down 60 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 469boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2016639 babies
- Total since 1880
- 11,027babies recorded
What does the name Nikolai mean?
Nikolai is the usual English spelling of Russian Nikolay, the Russian form of Nicholas. DMNES explains Nicholas as Greek nikē, victory, plus laos, people. DMNES lists a 3rd-century saint, the one better known as Santa Claus, and many later popes, patriarchs and kings among its bearers. Wiktionary gives the Russian pronunciation with the stress on the last syllable and notes the alternative spelling Nikolay.
νίκη (Ancient Greek, “victory”)λαός (Ancient Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nicholas, Nikolas, Nicolas, Kolya, Nikolaj.
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', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Николай' (Russian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nikolai' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Nikolai
The usual nicknames for Nikolai are Kolya and Nik.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kolya · Russian pet form | Traditional | — | — |
| Nik · also for Dominik | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Nikolais go by each one.
Nikolai popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #605 | 469 |
| 2020 | #545 | 521 |
| 2010 | #734 | 313 |
| 2000 | #1,513 | 80 |
| 1990 | #1,604 | 52 |
| 1980 | #2,098 | 26 |
| 1970 | #3,208 | 10 |
| 1960 | #3,940 | 6 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nikolai, counting every spelling?
Nikolai is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #579 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #605 for Nikolai on its own. Together these spellings went to 499 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolai | 469 | #605 | 2,536 |
| Nikolay | 14 | #6,342 | 74 |
| Nickolai | 10 | #8,059 | 64 |
| Nicolae | — | — | 31 |
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 Nikolai?
469 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nikolai (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Nikolai 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 18 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nikolai.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nikolai?
About 10,900 people born in the US named Nikolai are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 17. That makes Nikolai 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.
Nikolai by state
How common Nikolai was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (1.6×), Colorado (1.6×), Florida (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nikolai: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nikolai, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nikolai · Sibling names for Nikolai
Questions about the name Nikolai
What does Nikolai mean?
Nikolai means “victory of the people (Russian Nicholas)” (Greek, Russian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nikolai?
Nikolai was the 605th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 469 babies. Its best year was 2018, when it ranked 474th; the most babies were born in 2016 (639). Over the last ten years it has moved down 129 places. More babies were named Nikolai in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Nikolai a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Nikolai in the US.
Where is Nikolai most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nikolai was most common in Nevada (0.47 per 1,000 boys), followed by Colorado and Florida.