Total births
926,047
Boys' name · since 1880
Nicholas
Nicholas has 926,047 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1995 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #117
- among boys today
- 926,047
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.2%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Nicholas is the #117 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 926,047 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Nicholas recorded 926,047 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #117 nationally today, ahead of 99.2% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #117 among boys today
- 926,047 born since 1880
- 1990s peak decade
- 99.2% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nicholas is currently the #117 boys' name in America, more common than 99.2% of boys - 926,047 born since 1880, peaking in the 1990s.
- #117
- among boys today
- 926,047
- born since 1880
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 99.2%
- more common than other boys
Nicholas vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#117
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.2% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Nicholas was born in this single decade.
1995
Single peak year
29,160 babies were named Nicholas in 1995 - its busiest year on record.
How Nicholas compares
926,047 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Nicholas's all-time total is 2,523x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicholas | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 926,047 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 29,160 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nicholas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nicholas's full recorded timeline at 1953, 94% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 6% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 56 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1995 peak of 29,160 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nicholas at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1995
Current rank
#117
Active since
1880
Nicholas popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1995)
- 29,160
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nicholas popularity over time - girls
3,152 total births recorded since 1916 (Nicholas as girls' name)
Nicholas by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Nicholas's strongest decade.
275,329 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Nicholas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 730
1880s
730 births
- 1890s 857
1890s
857 births
- 1900s 1,334
1900s
1,334 births
- 1910s 10,233
1910s
10,233 births
- 1920s 13,608
1920s
13,608 births
- 1930s 9,716
1930s
9,716 births
- 1940s 15,503
1940s
15,503 births
- 1950s 22,614
1950s
22,614 births
- 1960s 22,339
1960s
22,339 births
- 1970s 65,068
1970s
65,068 births
- 1980s
1980s
223,308 births
- 1990s
1990s
275,329 births
- 2000s
2000s
177,609 births
- 2010s 66,811
2010s
66,811 births
- 2020s 20,988
2020s
20,988 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 275,329 births (30% of all-time use).
How Nicholas compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Nicholas's total volume
Nicholas vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nicholas by state
Where Nicholas concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 97,184 | 10.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 96,091 | 10.4% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 53,964 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 49,205 | 5.3% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 47,134 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Texas | | 46,062 | 5.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 41,925 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Florida | | 39,443 | 4.3% |
California share of Nicholas's total US births 10.5%
Even split
97,184 of 926,047 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nicholas appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicholas? ▼
926,047 babies have been named Nicholas since 1880. It currently ranks #117 among boys. The peak year was 1995 with 29,160 births.
When was Nicholas most popular? ▼
Nicholas was most popular in the 1990s decade with 275,329 total births. The single peak year was 1995.
Where is Nicholas most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nicholas are California (97,184 births), New York (96,091 births), Pennsylvania (53,964 births).
How long has the name Nicholas been used? ▼
Records for Nicholas go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nicholas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nicolas, Nick, Nickolas, Nico, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nicholas's data
- Nicholas's decade-level peak was the 1990s (275,329 total births); usage has since declined to 20,988 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicholass (97,184 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 Nicholas
Nearby Names Like Nicholas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicholas
Nicolas Boy
#184 101,585 births
Nick Boy
#1418 50,457 births
Nickolas Boy
#1542 39,356 births
Nico Boy
#211 21,294 births
Nicky Boy
#5271 7,475 births
Compare Nicholas side by side: Nicholas vs Nicolas Nicholas vs Nick Nicholas vs Nickolas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicholas
Lorenzo #116
85,752 births · Peak 2025
Jameson #118
61,883 births · Peak 2019
Archer #115
31,391 births · Peak 2025
Emmett #119
78,564 births · Peak 2021
Jace #114
91,544 births · Peak 2013
Milo #120
43,847 births · Peak 2022
Emiliano #113
42,844 births · Peak 2025
Harrison #121
99,138 births · Peak 2016
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nicholas: #117 Boys' Name - 926,047 Births, Peak 1995." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nicholas. 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 Nicholas 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.