Total births
5,543
Girls' name · since 1961
Nichelle
5,543 babies named Nichelle in U.S. Social Security records since 1961, with the highest year being 1968. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10425
- among girls today
- 5,543
- born since 1961
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other girls
5,543 babies have been named Nichelle since 1961, making it today's #10425 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Nichelle recorded 5,543 times among girls since 1961, holding rank #10425 nationally today, ahead of 41% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1961 to 2025.
- #10425 among girls today
- 5,543 born since 1961
- 1980s peak decade
- 41% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nichelle is currently the #10425 girls' name in America, more common than 41% of girls - 5,543 born since 1961, peaking in the 1980s.
- #10425
- among girls today
- 5,543
- born since 1961
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 41%
- more common than other girls
Nichelle vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#10425
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 41% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Nichelle was born in this single decade.
1968
Single peak year
395 babies were named Nichelle in 1968 - its busiest year on record.
How Nichelle compares
5,543 Top 12% higher than 88% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nichelle's all-time total is 15x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nichelle | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,543 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 395 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nichelle's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nichelle splits its recorded history at 1993: 24% of all births land in the more recent half, 76% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2023 (6 births) -- compare that against the 1968 peak of 395 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nichelle at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1968
Current rank
#10,425
Active since
1961
Nichelle popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1961–2025
- Peak year (1968)
- 395
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Nichelle popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1989 (Nichelle as boys' name)
Nichelle by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Nichelle's strongest decade.
1,277 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Nichelle births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s
1960s
1,197 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,226 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,277 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,196 births
- 2000s 423
2000s
423 births
- 2010s 166
2010s
166 births
- 2020s 58
2020s
58 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,277 births (23% of all-time use).
How Nichelle compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nichelle's total volume
Nichelle vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nichelle by state
Where Nichelle concentrates geographically, total births since 1961
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 683 | 12.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 455 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 254 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 238 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 234 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Texas | | 177 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 175 | 3.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 128 | 2.3% |
California share of Nichelle's total US births 12.3%
Even split
683 of 5,543 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Nichelle appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nichelle? ▼
Nichelle has been given to 5,543 babies in the U.S. since 1961, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #10425 as of the latest data. 395 babies were born in 1968, its single highest year.
When was Nichelle most popular? ▼
Nichelle was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,277 total births. The single peak year was 1968.
Where is Nichelle most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nichelle are California (683 births), New York (455 births), Illinois (254 births).
How long has the name Nichelle been used? ▼
Records for Nichelle go back to 1961, giving 65 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nichelle? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nicole, Nichole, Nicolette, Nicki, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nichelle's data
- Nichelle's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,277 total births); usage has since declined to 58 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nichelles (683 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nichelle
Nearby Names Like Nichelle
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nichelle
Nicole Girl
#318 594,500 births
Nichole Girl
#3343 63,770 births
Nicolette Girl
#2015 17,129 births
Nicki Girl
6,083 births
Nicolle Girl
#3025 6,077 births
Compare Nichelle side by side: Nichelle vs Nicole Nichelle vs Nichole Nichelle vs Nicolette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nichelle
Syrena #10424
693 births · Peak 2012
Araina #10426
525 births · Peak 2017
Shoshanna #10423
823 births · Peak 1980
Ralynn #10427
272 births · Peak 2012
Timberly #10422
1,032 births · Peak 1994
Danyelle #10428
5,769 births · Peak 1992
Charlise #10421
867 births · Peak 2004
Kera #10429
3,458 births · Peak 1982
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1961–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nichelle: #10425 Girls' Name - 5,543 Births, Peak 1968." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nichelle. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nichelle draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.