Boys' name · since 1880
Nick
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 50,457 babies named Nick, peaking in 1960. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #509 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,444 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 50,457
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Nick currently ranks #1444 among boys' names in America, with 50,457 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Nick recorded 50,457 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1444 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #509 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,444 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 50,457 born since 1880
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nick ranks #509 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,444 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 50,457 born since 1880, peaking in the 1960s.
- #509 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,444 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 50,457
- born since 1880
- 1960s
- peak decade
Nick's 50,457 recorded births place it above 98.88% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
46 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nick compares
50,457 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Nick's all-time total is 137x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nick | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 50,457 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,098 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nick's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nick's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1893, with only 22 births recorded -- set against the 1960 peak of 1,098, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nick popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 1,098
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Nick popularity over time - girls
132 total births recorded since 1916 (Nick as girls' name)
Nick by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (8,004 births, 16% of the file).
1960s was Nick's strongest decade.
8,004 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Nick births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 394
1880s
394 births
- 1890s 346
1890s
346 births
- 1900s 588
1900s
588 births
- 1910s
1910s
4,683 births
- 1920s
1920s
6,832 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,673 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,120 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,695 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,004 births
- 1970s
1970s
4,890 births
- 1980s 2,727
1980s
2,727 births
- 1990s 1,989
1990s
1,989 births
- 2000s 2,171
2000s
2,171 births
- 2010s 1,556
2010s
1,556 births
- 2020s 789
2020s
789 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 8,004 births (16% of all-time use).
How Nick 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 Nick's total volume
Nick by state
Where Nick concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,291 | 12.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 4,207 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 4,187 | 8.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 4,162 | 8.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 3,707 | 7.3% |
| #6 | Texas | | 2,669 | 5.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 2,141 | 4.2% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 1,639 | 3.2% |
6,291 of 50,457 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 46 reporting states.
Nick appears in 46 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nick? ▼
Where does Nick sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nick most popular? ▼
Where is Nick most popular? ▼
How long has the name Nick been used? ▼
What names are similar to Nick? ▼
What to do with Nick's data
- Nick's decade-level peak was the 1960s (8,004 total births); usage has since declined to 789 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicks (6,291 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 Nick
Nearby Names Like Nick
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nick
Compare Nick side by side: Nick vs Nicholas Nick vs Nicolas Nick vs Nickolas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nick
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nick: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Nick 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.