Boys' name · since 1976
Nickolai
Since 1976, U.S. Social Security records show 533 babies named Nickolai, peaking in 2015. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #7,600 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,838 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 533
- born since 1976
- 2010s
- peak decade
533 babies have been named Nickolai since 1976, making it today's #7838 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Nickolai recorded 533 times among boys since 1976, holding rank #7838 nationally today, ahead of 44% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2025.
- #7,600 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,838 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 533 born since 1976
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nickolai ranks #7,600 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,838 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 533 born since 1976, peaking in the 2010s.
- #7,600 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,838 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 533
- born since 1976
- 2010s
- peak decade
Nickolai's 533 recorded births place it above 83.28% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Nickolai compares
533 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
Nickolai's all-time total is 44% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nickolai | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 533 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 31 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nickolai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nickolai splits its recorded history at 2008: 65% of all births land in the more recent half, 35% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1980 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 31 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nickolai popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 31
- Annual births at peak, across 50 years of records
Nickolai by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (213 births, 40% of the file).
2010s was Nickolai's strongest decade.
213 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Nickolai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 60
1990s
60 births
- 2000s
2000s
164 births
- 2010s
2010s
213 births
- 2020s 85
2020s
85 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 213 births (40% of all-time use).
How Nickolai 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 Nickolai's total volume
Nickolai by state
Where Nickolai concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 5 | 0.9% |
5 of 533 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nickolai's data
- Nickolai's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (213 total births) through the 2020s (85) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nickolais (5 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 Nickolai
Nearby Names Like Nickolai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nickolai
Compare Nickolai side by side: Nickolai vs Nicholas Nickolai vs Nicolas Nickolai vs Nick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nickolai
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nickolai: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~49 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, 1976–2025 (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 Nickolai 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.