Nicholas
Nicholas was given to 3,115 boys in 2025, #112 among boys’ names; 929,199 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 841,000 Americans named Nicholas and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (91% of everyone recorded); the median is 32 years old and half are between 24 and 41.
Nicholas is the #25 most common first name among living American men and boys, by this estimate.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Nicholas by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Nicholas mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Nicholas is “a male given name from Ancient Greek, notably born by St. Nicholas of Myre, on whom Father Christmas is based.” Its etymology gives the senses “victory” (νίκη) and “people” (λαός).
From Middle English Nicholas, from Old French Nicholas, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος (Nikólaos), from νίκη (níkē, “victory”) + λαός (laós, “people”).
/ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Nicholas?
#112 among boys’ names, 2025
Nicholas fell from #62 in 2015 to #112 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 3.3 to 1.8 per 1,000.
29,216 babies in 1995, the peak
Nicholas peaked in 1995, when 29,216 babies were given it (29,160 boys, #7 among boys’ names). The 3,123 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 11% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,115 | #112 | 1.8 |
| 2024 | 3,038 | #117 | 1.8 |
| 2023 | 3,261 | #109 | 1.9 |
| 2022 | 3,643 | #97 | 2.1 |
| 2021 | 3,866 | #92 | 2.2 |
| 2020 | 4,065 | #87 | 2.4 |
| 2019 | 4,642 | #78 | 2.6 |
| 2018 | 4,847 | #74 | 2.7 |
| 2017 | 5,372 | #68 | 2.9 |
| 2016 | 5,765 | #63 | 3.0 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6,263 | #62 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 6,779 | #57 | 3.5 |
| 2013 | 7,147 | #54 | 3.8 |
| 2012 | 7,742 | #49 | 4.1 |
| 2011 | 8,601 | #42 | 4.5 |
| 2010 | 9,653 | #37 | 5.0 |
| 2009 | 10,856 | #32 | 5.5 |
| 2008 | 12,533 | #29 | 6.1 |
| 2007 | 14,362 | #20 | 6.9 |
| 2006 | 15,675 | #17 | 7.6 |
| 2005 | 17,076 | #15 | 8.5 |
| 2004 | 18,519 | #13 | 9.3 |
| 2003 | 19,696 | #12 | 10.0 |
| 2002 | 21,390 | #9 | 11.0 |
| 2001 | 22,849 | #6 | 11.8 |
| 2000 | 24,653 | #6 | 12.6 |
| 1999 | 25,639 | #5 | 13.4 |
| 1998 | 26,632 | #6 | 13.9 |
| 1997 | 27,258 | #6 | 14.5 |
| 1996 | 27,724 | #6 | 14.6 |
| 1995 | 29,160 | #7 | 15.3 |
| 1994 | 27,770 | #9 | 14.4 |
| 1993 | 28,114 | #8 | 14.3 |
| 1992 | 27,762 | #12 | 13.9 |
| 1991 | 27,357 | #12 | 13.5 |
| 1990 | 27,913 | #14 | 13.6 |
| 1989 | 28,230 | #14 | 14.1 |
| 1988 | 25,303 | #14 | 13.2 |
| 1987 | 23,247 | #16 | 12.5 |
| 1986 | 22,800 | #17 | 12.4 |
| 1985 | 22,384 | #19 | 12.1 |
| 1984 | 21,017 | #20 | 11.6 |
| 1983 | 19,891 | #21 | 11.1 |
| 1982 | 19,643 | #22 | 10.8 |
| 1981 | 19,775 | #21 | 11.0 |
| 1980 | 21,018 | #17 | 11.8 |
| 1979 | 21,344 | #15 | 12.4 |
| 1978 | 16,342 | #25 | 10.0 |
| 1977 | 6,071 | #51 | 3.7 |
| 1976 | 3,466 | #77 | 2.2 |
| 1975 | 3,319 | #81 | 2.1 |
| 1974 | 3,218 | #80 | 2.0 |
| 1973 | 3,153 | #85 | 2.0 |
| 1972 | 2,843 | #99 | 1.8 |
| 1971 | 2,608 | #123 | 1.5 |
| 1970 | 2,704 | #123 | 1.5 |
| 1969 | 2,577 | #123 | 1.4 |
| 1968 | 2,548 | #118 | 1.5 |
| 1967 | 2,288 | #130 | 1.3 |
| 1966 | 2,139 | #139 | 1.2 |
| 1965 | 2,068 | #150 | 1.1 |
| 1964 | 2,069 | #158 | 1.0 |
| 1963 | 2,130 | #155 | 1.0 |
| 1962 | 2,144 | #155 | 1.0 |
| 1961 | 2,078 | #158 | 1.0 |
| 1960 | 2,298 | #153 | 1.1 |
| 1959 | 2,196 | #156 | 1.0 |
| 1958 | 2,189 | #153 | 1.0 |
| 1957 | 2,197 | #152 | 1.0 |
| 1956 | 2,212 | #147 | 1.0 |
| 1955 | 2,186 | #141 | 1.1 |
| 1954 | 2,368 | #134 | 1.2 |
| 1953 | 2,359 | #131 | 1.2 |
| 1952 | 2,343 | #127 | 1.2 |
| 1951 | 2,388 | #120 | 1.3 |
| 1950 | 2,176 | #124 | 1.2 |
| 1949 | 1,998 | #136 | 1.1 |
| 1948 | 1,929 | #142 | 1.1 |
| 1947 | 1,935 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1946 | 1,675 | #144 | 1.0 |
| 1945 | 1,357 | #151 | 1.0 |
| 1944 | 1,361 | #150 | 1.0 |
| 1943 | 1,434 | #148 | 1.0 |
| 1942 | 1,500 | #142 | 1.1 |
| 1941 | 1,212 | #146 | 1.0 |
| 1940 | 1,102 | #154 | 1.0 |
| 1939 | 1,032 | #156 | 0.93 |
| 1938 | 989 | #161 | 0.89 |
| 1937 | 935 | #159 | 0.88 |
| 1936 | 929 | #157 | 0.90 |
| 1935 | 911 | #158 | 0.87 |
| 1934 | 873 | #165 | 0.85 |
| 1933 | 888 | #160 | 0.90 |
| 1932 | 925 | #163 | 0.89 |
| 1931 | 1,103 | #145 | 1.1 |
| 1930 | 1,131 | #147 | 1.0 |
| 1929 | 1,192 | #142 | 1.1 |
| 1928 | 1,216 | #140 | 1.1 |
| 1927 | 1,272 | #137 | 1.1 |
| 1926 | 1,319 | #133 | 1.2 |
| 1925 | 1,332 | #133 | 1.2 |
| 1924 | 1,488 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1923 | 1,468 | #120 | 1.3 |
| 1922 | 1,414 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1921 | 1,553 | #114 | 1.4 |
| 1920 | 1,354 | #124 | 1.3 |
| 1919 | 1,321 | #122 | 1.3 |
| 1918 | 1,488 | #113 | 1.5 |
| 1917 | 1,412 | #109 | 1.5 |
| 1916 | 1,419 | #107 | 1.6 |
| 1915 | 1,427 | #104 | 1.7 |
| 1914 | 1,151 | #102 | 1.8 |
| 1913 | 796 | #110 | 1.6 |
| 1912 | 676 | #113 | 1.6 |
| 1911 | 308 | #120 | 1.4 |
| 1910 | 235 | #137 | 1.2 |
| 1909 | 204 | #133 | 1.2 |
| 1908 | 226 | #113 | 1.5 |
| 1907 | 161 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1906 | 144 | #143 | 1.1 |
| 1905 | 112 | #173 | 0.85 |
| 1904 | 102 | #180 | 0.80 |
| 1903 | 90 | #184 | 0.75 |
| 1902 | 112 | #159 | 0.91 |
| 1901 | 88 | #169 | 0.83 |
| 1900 | 95 | #200 | 0.63 |
| 1899 | 69 | #196 | 0.65 |
| 1898 | 94 | #172 | 0.77 |
| 1897 | 87 | #178 | 0.77 |
| 1896 | 106 | #157 | 0.89 |
| 1895 | 84 | #187 | 0.72 |
| 1894 | 77 | #193 | 0.67 |
| 1893 | 89 | #163 | 0.79 |
| 1892 | 95 | #168 | 0.78 |
| 1891 | 78 | #165 | 0.77 |
| 1890 | 78 | #175 | 0.70 |
| 1889 | 68 | #194 | 0.61 |
| 1888 | 97 | #157 | 0.80 |
| 1887 | 79 | #158 | 0.78 |
| 1886 | 85 | #165 | 0.77 |
| 1885 | 66 | #196 | 0.61 |
| 1884 | 69 | #194 | 0.60 |
| 1883 | 71 | #175 | 0.68 |
| 1882 | 66 | #196 | 0.58 |
| 1881 | 56 | #204 | 0.56 |
| 1880 | 73 | #178 | 0.66 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Nicholas a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Nicholas has been given almost only to boys: 3,152 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Nicholas: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Nicholas, and how old are they?
841,000 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 91% of the 929,199 Americans ever recorded as Nicholas. The median Nicholas alive today is 32 years old; half are between 24 and 41.
The 2020 Census counted 711,305 people named Nicholas (935 women and girls, 710,370 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 837,634 born in the U.S. The Census count is 15% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 4,190 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 27,200 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 89,000 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 380,000 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 278,000 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 61,400 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Nicholas born?
The states with the most babies named Nicholas are California, Texas and New York, with 34% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 425 | #93 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 318 | #123 | 0.6× |
| New York | 310 | #52 | 1.5× |
| Florida | 227 | #99 | 0.9× |
| New Jersey | 192 | #40 | 1.6× |
| Pennsylvania | 166 | #70 | 1.3× |
| Illinois | 132 | #89 | 1.1× |
| Ohio | 93 | #148 | 1.2× |
| Georgia | 82 | #150 | 0.7× |
| North Carolina | 79 | #162 | 0.7× |
Where Nicholas is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Nicholas is most over-represented in New Jersey: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Nicholas with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 1,076,786 babies since 1880, Nicholas is the most given (86% of them). In 2025 it was given to 3,123 of their 5,299 babies (59%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Nicholas
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Nicholas and names like it
- Compare Nicholas and NicolasBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1990sNicholas peaked in 1995.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Nicholas since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Nicholas: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1995The year the most babies were named Nicholas.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named Nicholas alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with NMost given first.