Boys' name · since 1914
Nichols
758 babies named Nichols in U.S. Social Security records since 1914, with the highest year being 1987. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6,109 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 758
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
Nichols sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 758 recorded since 1914.
Social Security Administration records show Nichols recorded 758 times among boys since 1914, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2009.
- #6,109 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 758 born since 1914
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nichols ranks #6,109 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 758 born since 1914, peaking in the 1980s.
- #6,109 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 758
- born since 1914
- 1980s
- peak decade
Nichols's 758 recorded births place it above 86.56% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
Nichols's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nichols's full recorded timeline at 1979, 76% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 24% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1915, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1987 peak of 55 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nichols popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2009
- Peak year (1987)
- 55
- Annual births at peak, across 96 years of records
Nichols by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (322 births, 42% of the file).
1980s was Nichols's strongest decade.
322 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Nichols births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 27
1910s
27 births
- 1920s 26
1920s
26 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 17
1940s
17 births
- 1950s 27
1950s
27 births
- 1960s 17
1960s
17 births
- 1970s 98
1970s
98 births
- 1980s
1980s
322 births
- 1990s
1990s
163 births
- 2000s 56
2000s
56 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 322 births (42% of all-time use).
How Nichols 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 Nichols's total volume
Nichols by state
Where Nichols concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 29 | 3.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 16 | 2.1% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 5 | 0.7% |
| #5 | Texas | | 5 | 0.7% |
29 of 758 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nichols's data
- Nichols's decade-level peak was the 1980s (322 total births); usage has since declined to 56 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicholss (29 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 Nichols
Nearby Names Like Nichols
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nichols
Compare Nichols side by side: Nichols vs Nicholas Nichols vs Nicolas Nichols vs Nick
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nichols: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1987)
Similar record span (~95 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, 1914–2009 (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 Nichols 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.