Boys' name · since 1950
Nicholaus
Since 1950, U.S. Social Security records show 3,260 babies named Nicholaus, peaking in 1981. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,389 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,228 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,260
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
Yes -- Nicholaus is the #12228 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 3,260 recorded since 1950.
Nicholaus has 3,260 recorded births among boys since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12228 as of the latest data, more common than 12% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #2,389 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,228 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,260 born since 1950
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicholaus ranks #2,389 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,228 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,260 born since 1950, peaking in the 1980s.
- #2,389 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,228 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,260
- born since 1950
- 1980s
- peak decade
Nicholaus's 3,260 recorded births place it above 94.74% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
25 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nicholaus compares
3,260 Top 17% higher than 83% of 13,930 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
Nicholaus's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicholaus | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,260 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 168 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nicholaus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nicholaus's full recorded timeline at 1994, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1957, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1981 peak of 168 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nicholaus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (1981)
- 168
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Nicholaus by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (1,155 births, 35% of the file).
1980s was Nicholaus's strongest decade.
1,155 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Nicholaus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 14
1950s
14 births
- 1960s 30
1960s
30 births
- 1970s
1970s
462 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,155 births
- 1990s
1990s
969 births
- 2000s
2000s
468 births
- 2010s 124
2010s
124 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,155 births (35% of all-time use).
How Nicholaus 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 Nicholaus's total volume
Nicholaus by state
Where Nicholaus concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 461 | 14.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 199 | 6.1% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 93 | 2.9% |
| #4 | Washington | | 76 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Florida | | 63 | 1.9% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 50 | 1.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 47 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 46 | 1.4% |
461 of 3,260 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Nicholaus appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicholaus? ▼
Where does Nicholaus sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nicholaus most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Nicholaus been used? ▼
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What to do with Nicholaus's data
- Nicholaus's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,155 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicholauss (461 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 Nicholaus
Nearby Names Like Nicholaus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicholaus
Compare Nicholaus side by side: Nicholaus vs Nicholas Nicholaus vs Nicolas Nicholaus vs Nick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicholaus
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nicholaus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1981)
Similar record span (~75 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, 1950–2025 (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 Nicholaus 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.