Girls' name · since 1944
Nichol
2,900 babies named Nichol in U.S. Social Security records since 1944, with the highest year being 1979. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,676 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,900
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
2,900 girls have been named Nichol since 1944, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Nichol has 2,900 recorded births among girls since 1944, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1944 to 2014.
- #3,676 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,900 born since 1944
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nichol ranks #3,676 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,900 born since 1944, peaking in the 1970s.
- #3,676 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,900
- born since 1944
- 1970s
- peak decade
Nichol's 2,900 recorded births place it above 94.91% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
Nichol's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nichol splits its recorded history at 1986: 20% of all births land in the more recent half, 80% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1944 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 195 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nichol popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1944–2014
- Peak year (1979)
- 195
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Nichol popularity over time - boys
22 total births recorded since 1969 (Nichol as boys' name)
Nichol by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (1,428 births, 49% of the file).
1970s was Nichol's strongest decade.
1,428 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Nichol births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1960s 153
1960s
153 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,428 births
- 1980s
1980s
971 births
- 1990s 268
1990s
268 births
- 2000s 69
2000s
69 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,428 births (49% of all-time use).
How Nichol 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 Nichol's total volume
Nichol by state
Where Nichol concentrates geographically, total births since 1944
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 378 | 13.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 157 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 139 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 122 | 4.2% |
| #5 | New York | | 118 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 111 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Florida | | 51 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Texas | | 51 | 1.8% |
378 of 2,900 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Nichol appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nichol? ▼
Where does Nichol sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nichol most popular? ▼
Where is Nichol most popular? ▼
How long has the name Nichol been used? ▼
What names are similar to Nichol? ▼
What to do with Nichol's data
- Nichol's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,428 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nichols (378 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nichol
Nearby Names Like Nichol
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nichol
Compare Nichol side by side: Nichol vs Nicole Nichol vs Nichole Nichol vs Nicolette
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nichol: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1979)
Similar record span (~70 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1944–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Nichol 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 August 2026.