Boys' name · since 1979
Nicholson
Nicholson has 97 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1994 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #17,632 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 97
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
97 boys have been named Nicholson since 1979, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicholson has been recorded 97 times among boys since 1979, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2018.
- #17,632 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 97 born since 1979
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicholson ranks #17,632 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 97 born since 1979, peaking in the 1990s.
- #17,632 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 97
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
Nicholson's 97 recorded births place it above 61.18% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Nicholson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nicholson's full recorded timeline at 1997, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 2002, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1994 peak of 11 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nicholson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2018
- Peak year (1994)
- 11
- Annual births at peak, across 40 years of records
Nicholson by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (56 births, 58% of the file).
1990s was Nicholson's strongest decade.
56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 58% of all-time use.
Nicholson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s
1990s
56 births
- 2000s
2000s
24 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 56 births (58% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicholson? ▼
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When was Nicholson most popular? ▼
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What to do with Nicholson's data
- Nicholson's decade-level peak was the 1990s (56 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nicholson
Nearby Names Like Nicholson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicholson
Compare Nicholson side by side: Nicholson vs Nicholas Nicholson vs Nicolas Nicholson 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 Nicholson: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1994)
Similar record span (~39 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, 1979–2018 (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 Nicholson 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.