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.
- #313 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #177 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 101,585
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
Nicolas currently ranks #177 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 #177 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.
- #313 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #177 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 101,585 born since 1882
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicolas ranks #313 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #177 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 101,585 born since 1882, peaking in the 2000s.
- #313 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #177 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 101,585
- born since 1882
- 2000s
- peak decade
Nicolas's 101,585 recorded births place it above 99.31% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Nicolas compares
101,585 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Nicolas's all-time total is 275x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicolas | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 101,585 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,003 | 34 | 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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (28,267 births, 28% of the file).
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 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% |
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
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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
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
Compare Nicolas side by side: Nicolas vs Nicholas Nicolas vs Nick Nicolas vs Nickolas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicolas
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nicolas: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2003)
Similar record span (~143 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, 1882–2025 (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 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 August 2026.