Total births
39,356
Boys' name · since 1882
Nickolas
Nickolas has 39,356 recorded births since 1882 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1542
- among boys today
- 39,356
- born since 1882
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Nickolas is the #1542 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 39,356 recorded since 1882.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nickolas has been recorded 39,356 times among boys since 1882, currently ranked #1542 nationally and more common than 89% of boys, 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 1882 to 2025.
- #1542 among boys today
- 39,356 born since 1882
- 1990s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nickolas is currently the #1542 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 39,356 born since 1882, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1542
- among boys today
- 39,356
- born since 1882
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Nickolas vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1542
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Nickolas was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
1,156 babies were named Nickolas in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Nickolas compares
39,356 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 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
Nickolas's all-time total is 107x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nickolas | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39,356 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,156 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nickolas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nickolas's full recorded timeline at 1960, 88% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 12% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1883, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 1,156 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nickolas at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#1,542
Active since
1882
Nickolas popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 1,156
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Nickolas popularity over time - girls
47 total births recorded since 1980 (Nickolas as girls' name)
Nickolas by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Nickolas's strongest decade.
10,729 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Nickolas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 30
1880s
30 births
- 1890s 17
1890s
17 births
- 1900s 66
1900s
66 births
- 1910s 823
1910s
823 births
- 1920s 1,302
1920s
1,302 births
- 1930s 685
1930s
685 births
- 1940s 768
1940s
768 births
- 1950s 1,003
1950s
1,003 births
- 1960s 910
1960s
910 births
- 1970s 2,380
1970s
2,380 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,237 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,729 births
- 2000s
2000s
9,012 births
- 2010s 3,536
2010s
3,536 births
- 2020s 858
2020s
858 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 10,729 births (27% of all-time use).
How Nickolas 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 Nickolas's total volume
Nickolas vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nickolas by state
Where Nickolas concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,537 | 11.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,491 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 2,375 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 2,106 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,934 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 1,930 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 1,911 | 4.9% |
| #8 | Florida | | 1,522 | 3.9% |
California share of Nickolas's total US births 11.5%
Even split
4,537 of 39,356 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Nickolas appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nickolas? ▼
39,356 babies have been named Nickolas since 1882. It currently ranks #1542 among boys. The peak year was 1998 with 1,156 births.
When was Nickolas most popular? ▼
Nickolas was most popular in the 1990s decade with 10,729 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Nickolas most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nickolas are California (4,537 births), Texas (2,491 births), New York (2,375 births).
How long has the name Nickolas been used? ▼
Records for Nickolas go back to 1882, giving 144 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Nickolas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nicholas, Nicolas, Nick, Nico, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nickolas's data
- Nickolas's decade-level peak was the 1990s (10,729 total births); usage has since declined to 858 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nickolass (4,537 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nickolas
Nearby Names Like Nickolas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nickolas
Nicholas Boy
#117 926,047 births
Nicolas Boy
#184 101,585 births
Nick Boy
#1418 50,457 births
Nico Boy
#211 21,294 births
Nicky Boy
#5271 7,475 births
Compare Nickolas side by side: Nickolas vs Nicholas Nickolas vs Nicolas Nickolas vs Nick
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nickolas
Phineas #1541
2,803 births · Peak 2016
Linden #1543
4,102 births · Peak 2025
Virgil #1540
72,009 births · Peak 1921
Sammy #1544
43,382 births · Peak 1947
Khyson #1539
705 births · Peak 2023
Mendel #1545
2,942 births · Peak 2024
Shivansh #1538
1,229 births · Peak 2025
Jonathon #1546
65,612 births · Peak 1990
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1882–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nickolas: #1542 Boys' Name - 39,356 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nickolas. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Nickolas 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 June 2026.