Unisex name · since 1920
Nicola
Since 1920, U.S. Social Security records show 5,078 babies named Nicola, peaking in 1972. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,549 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,418 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,078
- born since 1920
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- Nicola is the #8418 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 5,078 recorded since 1920.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicola has been recorded 5,078 times among girls since 1920, currently ranked #8418 nationally and more common than 51% 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 1920 to 2025.
- #2,549 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #8,418 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 5,078 born since 1920
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicola ranks #2,549 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,418 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 5,078 born since 1920, peaking in the 1970s.
- #2,549 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,418 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 5,078
- born since 1920
- 1970s
- peak decade
Nicola's 5,078 recorded births place it above 96.47% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
25 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nicola compares
5,078 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Nicola's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicola | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,078 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 183 | 21 | 19,840 |
Nicola's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nicola splits its recorded history at 1981: 47% of all births land in the more recent half, 53% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1972 peak of 183 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nicola popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 183
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Nicola popularity over time - boys
3,012 total births recorded since 1908 (Nicola as boys' name)
Nicola by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (1,320 births, 26% of the file).
1970s was Nicola's strongest decade.
1,320 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Nicola births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 16
1930s
16 births
- 1940s 277
1940s
277 births
- 1950s 288
1950s
288 births
- 1960s
1960s
685 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,320 births
- 1980s
1980s
864 births
- 1990s
1990s
784 births
- 2000s
2000s
528 births
- 2010s 233
2010s
233 births
- 2020s 78
2020s
78 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,320 births (26% of all-time use).
How Nicola 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 Nicola's total volume
Nicola by state
Where Nicola concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 647 | 12.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 498 | 9.8% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 168 | 3.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 154 | 3.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 116 | 2.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 108 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Florida | | 94 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 93 | 1.8% |
647 of 5,078 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 25 reporting states.
Nicola appears in 25 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicola? ▼
Where does Nicola sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nicola most popular? ▼
Where is Nicola most popular? ▼
Is Nicola a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Nicola been used? ▼
What names are similar to Nicola? ▼
What to do with Nicola's data
- Nicola's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,320 total births); usage has since declined to 78 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicolas (647 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 Nicola
Nearby Names Like Nicola
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicola
Compare Nicola side by side: Nicola vs Nicole Nicola vs Nichole Nicola vs Nicolette
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicola
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nicola: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1972)
Similar record span (~105 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, 1920–2025 (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 Nicola 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.