Total births
101,585
Boys' name · since 1882
Nicolas
101,585 babies named Nicolas in U.S. Social Security records since 1882, with the highest year being 2003. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #184
- among boys today
- 101,585
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Nicolas currently ranks #184 among boys' names in America, with 101,585 babies recorded since 1882.
Social Security Administration records show Nicolas recorded 101,585 times among boys since 1882, holding rank #184 nationally today, ahead of 99% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1882 to 2025.
- #184 among boys today
- 101,585 born since 1882
- 2000s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nicolas is currently the #184 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 101,585 born since 1882, peaking in the 2000s.
- #184
- among boys today
- 101,585
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Nicolas vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#184
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Nicolas was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
3,003 babies were named Nicolas in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Nicolas compares
101,585 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Nicolas's all-time total is 277x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicolas | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 101,585 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,003 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nicolas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nicolas splits its recorded history at 1961: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2003 peak of 3,003 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nicolas at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2003
Current rank
#184
Active since
1882
Nicolas popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1882–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 3,003
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Nicolas popularity over time - girls
179 total births recorded since 1932 (Nicolas as girls' name)
Nicolas by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nicolas's strongest decade.
28,267 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Nicolas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 26
1880s
26 births
- 1890s 19
1890s
19 births
- 1900s 51
1900s
51 births
- 1910s 367
1910s
367 births
- 1920s 749
1920s
749 births
- 1930s 567
1930s
567 births
- 1940s 694
1940s
694 births
- 1950s 1,041
1950s
1,041 births
- 1960s 1,388
1960s
1,388 births
- 1970s 3,870
1970s
3,870 births
- 1980s 10,268
1980s
10,268 births
- 1990s
1990s
21,219 births
- 2000s
2000s
28,267 births
- 2010s
2010s
21,216 births
- 2020s
2020s
11,843 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 28,267 births (28% of all-time use).
How Nicolas 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 Nicolas's total volume
Nicolas vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nicolas by state
Where Nicolas concentrates geographically, total births since 1882
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 21,312 | 21.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 13,936 | 13.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 8,677 | 8.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 7,107 | 7.0% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 4,353 | 4.3% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 3,253 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 2,459 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 2,368 | 2.3% |
California share of Nicolas's total US births 21.0%
Even split
21,312 of 101,585 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nicolas appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicolas? ▼
101,585 babies have been named Nicolas since 1882. It currently ranks #184 among boys. The peak year was 2003 with 3,003 births.
When was Nicolas most popular? ▼
Nicolas was most popular in the 2000s decade with 28,267 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Nicolas most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nicolas are California (21,312 births), Texas (13,936 births), Florida (8,677 births).
How long has the name Nicolas been used? ▼
Nicolas has been recorded in Social Security data since 1882, spanning 144 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nicolas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nicholas, Nick, Nickolas, Nico, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nicolas's data
- Nicolas's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (28,267 total births) through the 2020s (11,843) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nicolass (21,312 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 Nicolas
Nearby Names Like Nicolas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicolas
Nicholas Boy
#117 926,047 births
Nick Boy
#1418 50,457 births
Nickolas Boy
#1542 39,356 births
Nico Boy
#211 21,294 births
Nicky Boy
#5271 7,475 births
Compare Nicolas side by side: Nicolas vs Nicholas Nicolas vs Nick Nicolas vs Nickolas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicolas
Ryker #183
41,204 births · Peak 2018
Jesse #185
432,428 births · Peak 1981
Maxwell #182
108,732 births · Peak 2014
Alejandro #186
146,624 births · Peak 2001
Emmanuel #181
91,079 births · Peak 2008
Barrett #187
33,425 births · Peak 2025
Antonio #180
262,995 births · Peak 1997
Ashton #188
88,267 births · Peak 2004
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. "Nicolas: #184 Boys' Name - 101,585 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nicolas. 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 Nicolas 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.