Boys' name · since 1971
Nicolaus
Nicolaus has 1,141 recorded births since 1971 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #4,722 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,141
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
1,141 boys have been named Nicolaus since 1971, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Nicolaus has 1,141 recorded births among boys since 1971, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2023.
- #4,722 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,141 born since 1971
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicolaus ranks #4,722 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,141 born since 1971, peaking in the 1990s.
- #4,722 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,141
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
Nicolaus's 1,141 recorded births place it above 89.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
Nicolaus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nicolaus's SSA record in two at 1996 and the more recent half accounts for 48% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 52%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1971, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 47, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nicolaus popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2023
- Peak year (1998)
- 47
- Annual births at peak, across 53 years of records
Nicolaus by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (374 births, 33% of the file).
1990s was Nicolaus's strongest decade.
374 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Nicolaus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 101
1970s
101 births
- 1980s
1980s
270 births
- 1990s
1990s
374 births
- 2000s
2000s
266 births
- 2010s 115
2010s
115 births
- 2020s 15
2020s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 374 births (33% of all-time use).
How Nicolaus 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 Nicolaus's total volume
Nicolaus by state
Where Nicolaus concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 174 | 15.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 39 | 3.4% |
| #3 | Florida | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.4% |
174 of 1,141 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nicolaus's data
- Nicolaus's decade-level peak was the 1990s (374 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicolauss (174 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 Nicolaus
Nearby Names Like Nicolaus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicolaus
Compare Nicolaus side by side: Nicolaus vs Nicholas Nicolaus vs Nicolas Nicolaus vs Nick
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nicolaus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1998)
Similar record span (~52 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, 1971–2023 (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 Nicolaus 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.