Girls' name · since 1956
Nicol
Since 1956, U.S. Social Security records show 2,220 babies named Nicol, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,397 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,900 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,220
- born since 1956
- 1970s
- peak decade
2,220 babies have been named Nicol since 1956, making it today's #6900 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicol has been recorded 2,220 times among girls since 1956, currently ranked #6900 nationally and more common than 60% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #4,397 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,900 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 2,220 born since 1956
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicol ranks #4,397 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,900 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 2,220 born since 1956, peaking in the 1970s.
- #4,397 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,900 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,220
- born since 1956
- 1970s
- peak decade
Nicol's 2,220 recorded births place it above 93.92% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
13 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nicol compares
2,220 Top 21% higher than 79% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Nicol's all-time total is 6x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicol | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,220 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 125 | 21 | 19,840 |
Nicol's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nicol splits its recorded history at 1993: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1956 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1970 peak of 125 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nicol popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 125
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Nicol popularity over time - boys
28 total births recorded since 1968 (Nicol as boys' name)
Nicol by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (808 births, 36% of the file).
1970s was Nicol's strongest decade.
808 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Nicol births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 262
1960s
262 births
- 1970s
1970s
808 births
- 1980s 295
1980s
295 births
- 1990s 186
1990s
186 births
- 2000s 306
2000s
306 births
- 2010s 239
2010s
239 births
- 2020s 119
2020s
119 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 808 births (36% of all-time use).
How Nicol compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nicol's total volume
Nicol by state
Where Nicol concentrates geographically, total births since 1956
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 258 | 11.6% |
| #2 | New York | | 117 | 5.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 53 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 51 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Texas | | 47 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 45 | 2.0% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 41 | 1.8% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 39 | 1.8% |
258 of 2,220 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Nicol appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicol? ▼
Where does Nicol sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nicol most popular? ▼
Where is Nicol most popular? ▼
How long has the name Nicol been used? ▼
What names are similar to Nicol? ▼
What to do with Nicol's data
- Nicol's decade-level peak was the 1970s (808 total births); usage has since declined to 119 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicols (258 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 Nicol
Nearby Names Like Nicol
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicol
Compare Nicol side by side: Nicol vs Nicole Nicol vs Nichole Nicol vs Nicolette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicol
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nicol: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~69 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, 1956–2025 (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 Nicol 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.