Boy nameCurrently #118 in the USFalling
Nicholas
NIK-uh-lus//ˈnɪkələs//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19958 lettersStarts with N
Meaning & origin
Victory of the people
Nicholas comes from the Greek elements meaning 'victory' and 'people', and honors the 4th-century Saint Nicholas of Myra, the historical figure behind Santa Claus. A steady classic across many centuries, it offers the friendly, versatile nickname Nick.
Nicholas's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Nicholas |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 73 |
| 1881 | 56 |
| 1882 | 66 |
| 1883 | 71 |
| 1884 | 69 |
| 1885 | 66 |
| 1886 | 85 |
| 1887 | 79 |
| 1888 | 97 |
| 1889 | 68 |
| 1890 | 78 |
| 1891 | 78 |
| 1892 | 95 |
| 1893 | 89 |
| 1894 | 77 |
| 1895 | 84 |
| 1896 | 106 |
| 1897 | 87 |
| 1898 | 94 |
| 1899 | 69 |
| 1900 | 95 |
| 1901 | 88 |
| 1902 | 112 |
| 1903 | 90 |
| 1904 | 102 |
| 1905 | 112 |
| 1906 | 144 |
| 1907 | 161 |
| 1908 | 226 |
| 1909 | 204 |
| 1910 | 235 |
| 1911 | 308 |
| 1912 | 676 |
| 1913 | 796 |
| 1914 | 1,151 |
| 1915 | 1,427 |
| 1916 | 1,426 |
| 1917 | 1,418 |
| 1918 | 1,488 |
| 1919 | 1,328 |
| 1920 | 1,360 |
| 1921 | 1,559 |
| 1922 | 1,421 |
| 1923 | 1,473 |
| 1924 | 1,501 |
| 1925 | 1,339 |
| 1926 | 1,335 |
| 1927 | 1,284 |
| 1928 | 1,223 |
| 1929 | 1,205 |
| 1930 | 1,145 |
| 1931 | 1,111 |
| 1932 | 931 |
| 1933 | 895 |
| 1934 | 873 |
| 1935 | 911 |
| 1936 | 929 |
| 1937 | 935 |
| 1938 | 994 |
| 1939 | 1,032 |
| 1940 | 1,102 |
| 1941 | 1,218 |
| 1942 | 1,500 |
| 1943 | 1,440 |
| 1944 | 1,362 |
| 1945 | 1,362 |
| 1946 | 1,675 |
| 1947 | 1,935 |
| 1948 | 1,934 |
| 1949 | 2,003 |
| 1950 | 2,176 |
| 1951 | 2,388 |
| 1952 | 2,343 |
| 1953 | 2,364 |
| 1954 | 2,379 |
| 1955 | 2,194 |
| 1956 | 2,218 |
| 1957 | 2,204 |
| 1958 | 2,198 |
| 1959 | 2,202 |
| 1960 | 2,299 |
| 1961 | 2,084 |
| 1962 | 2,145 |
| 1963 | 2,140 |
| 1964 | 2,070 |
| 1965 | 2,075 |
| 1966 | 2,146 |
| 1967 | 2,300 |
| 1968 | 2,567 |
| 1969 | 2,585 |
| 1970 | 2,709 |
| 1971 | 2,631 |
| 1972 | 2,860 |
| 1973 | 3,170 |
| 1974 | 3,239 |
| 1975 | 3,342 |
| 1976 | 3,485 |
| 1977 | 6,107 |
| 1978 | 16,451 |
| 1979 | 21,483 |
| 1980 | 21,164 |
| 1981 | 19,901 |
| 1982 | 19,778 |
| 1983 | 20,029 |
| 1984 | 21,164 |
| 1985 | 22,546 |
| 1986 | 22,935 |
| 1987 | 23,409 |
| 1988 | 25,435 |
| 1989 | 28,353 |
| 1990 | 27,983 |
| 1991 | 27,438 |
| 1992 | 27,841 |
| 1993 | 28,206 |
| 1994 | 27,833 |
| 1995 | 29,217 |
| 1996 | 27,774 |
| 1997 | 27,308 |
| 1998 | 26,671 |
| 1999 | 25,678 |
| 2000 | 24,693 |
| 2001 | 22,883 |
| 2002 | 21,429 |
| 2003 | 19,740 |
| 2004 | 18,591 |
| 2005 | 17,100 |
| 2006 | 15,690 |
| 2007 | 14,376 |
| 2008 | 12,551 |
| 2009 | 10,873 |
| 2010 | 9,663 |
| 2011 | 8,616 |
| 2012 | 7,749 |
| 2013 | 7,160 |
| 2014 | 6,791 |
| 2015 | 6,266 |
| 2016 | 5,769 |
| 2017 | 5,373 |
| 2018 | 4,843 |
| 2019 | 4,648 |
| 2020 | 4,065 |
| 2021 | 3,862 |
| 2022 | 3,645 |
| 2023 | 3,257 |
| 2024 | 3,025 |
Nicholas through the decades
- Nicholas peaked in 1995, when 29,217 babies were named Nicholas in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Nicholas has fallen 60% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Nicholas currently ranks #118 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
NickNico
Variants & spellings
NikolasNicolás
Famous people named Nicholas
- Saint Nicholas — 4th-century bishop, basis for Santa Claus