Nikolas
Nikolas was the 719th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 375 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 287th; the most babies were born in 2004 (1,060). Over the last ten years it has moved down 153 places. More babies were named Nikolas in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning victory of the people (Greek Nicholas) · Greek
Say it NIK-uh-lus /ˈnɪkələs/
- Rank in 2025
- #719 boys, down 115 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 375boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20041,060 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,050babies recorded
What does the name Nikolas mean?
Nikolas transliterates the Greek name Nikólas, used in Greece, as Wiktionary notes, and is also an English spelling of Nicholas. DMNES explains Nicholas as Greek nikē, victory, plus laos, people. It names many saints, among them the 3rd-century saint better known as Santa Claus, according to DMNES. Wiktionary's Finnish entry treats Nikolas as a variant of Nikolaus. Nikolas has been used in the US since the 1930s.
νίκη (Ancient Greek, “victory”)λαός (Ancient Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nicholas, Nicolas, Nikolai, Nico, Klaus.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nikolas' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Nikolas
The usual nicknames for Nikolas are Nick, Nico and Niko. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Nikolas in the last five years, 381 were named Nico, against 29 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick · also for Nicholas | Traditional | #1,447 | 667 |
| Nico · also for Nicholas | Modern | #174 | 8,053 |
| Niko | Modern | #325 | 5,452 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Nikolass go by each one.
Nikolas popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 15 since 1989.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #719 | 375 |
| 2020 | #604 | 453 |
| 2010 | #455 | 591 |
| 2000 | #358 | 739 |
| 1990 | #474 | 439 |
| 1980 | #777 | 127 |
| 1970 | #2,190 | 18 |
| 1960 | #3,941 | 6 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nikolas, counting every spelling?
Nikolas is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #574 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #719 for Nikolas on its own. Together these spellings went to 505 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikolas | 375 | #719 | 2,111 |
| Nickolas | 118 | #1,498 | 663 |
| Nikkolas | 6 | #11,610 | 32 |
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 Nikolas?
375 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nikolas (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Nikolas 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 22 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nikolas.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nikolas?
About 23,500 people born in the US named Nikolas are alive today, with a median age of 22; half are between 13 and 29. That makes Nikolas mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Nikolas by state
How common Nikolas was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.7×), Arizona (1.6×). In 19 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nikolas: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nikolas, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nikolas · Sibling names for Nikolas
Questions about the name Nikolas
What does Nikolas mean?
Nikolas means “victory of the people (Greek Nicholas)” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nikolas?
Nikolas was the 719th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 375 babies. Its best year was 1998, when it ranked 287th; the most babies were born in 2004 (1,060). Over the last ten years it has moved down 153 places. More babies were named Nikolas in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Nikolas a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Nikolas in the US.
Where is Nikolas most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nikolas was most common in California (0.41 per 1,000 boys), followed by Arizona and Texas.