Total births
2,900
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.
- 2,900
- total births
- 1944–2014
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 49%
- born in that 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.
- 2,900 total births
- 1944–2014 years on record
- 1970s peak decade
- 49% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
2,900 girls have been named Nichol since 1944, peaking in the 1970s, last recorded in 2014.
- 2,900
- total births
- 1944–2014
- years on record
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 49%
- born in that decade
1970s
Peak decade
49% of everyone ever named Nichol was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
195 babies were named Nichol in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1979
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1944
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
California share of Nichol's total US births 13.0%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1944, Social Security records show 2,900 babies named Nichol. The most recent recorded year was 2014. Its busiest year on record was 1979, with 195 births.
When was Nichol most popular? ▼
Nichol was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,428 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Nichol most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nichol are California (378 births), Ohio (157 births), Pennsylvania (139 births).
How long has the name Nichol been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nichol since 1944 -- 71 years through the most recent 2014 data.
What names are similar to Nichol? ▼
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 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
- 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 Nichol
Nearby Names Like Nichol
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nichol
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 Nichol side by side: Nichol vs Nicole Nichol vs Nichole Nichol vs Nicolette
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nichol: Baby Name Since 1944 - 2,900 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nichol. 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 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 July 2026.