Total births
594,500
Girls' name · since 1937
Nicole
Nicole has 594,500 recorded births since 1937 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1985 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #318
- among girls today
- 594,500
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Nicole currently ranks #318 among girls' names in America, with 594,500 babies recorded since 1937.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nicole has been recorded 594,500 times among girls since 1937, currently ranked #318 nationally and more common than 98% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2025.
- #318 among girls today
- 594,500 born since 1937
- 1980s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nicole is currently the #318 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 594,500 born since 1937, peaking in the 1980s.
- #318
- among girls today
- 594,500
- born since 1937
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Nicole vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#318
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Nicole was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
22,966 babies were named Nicole in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Nicole compares
594,500 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 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
Nicole's all-time total is 1,556x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nicole | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 594,500 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 22,966 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nicole's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nicole splits its recorded history at 1981: 69% of all births land in the more recent half, 31% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1938 (7 births) -- compare that against the 1985 peak of 22,966 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nicole at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1985
Current rank
#318
Active since
1937
Nicole popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 22,966
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Nicole popularity over time - boys
1,965 total births recorded since 1961 (Nicole as boys' name)
Nicole by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Nicole's strongest decade.
210,494 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Nicole births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 28
1930s
28 births
- 1940s 616
1940s
616 births
- 1950s 1,314
1950s
1,314 births
- 1960s 18,564
1960s
18,564 births
- 1970s
1970s
144,667 births
- 1980s
1980s
210,494 births
- 1990s
1990s
136,103 births
- 2000s 54,585
2000s
54,585 births
- 2010s 22,306
2010s
22,306 births
- 2020s 5,823
2020s
5,823 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 210,494 births (35% of all-time use).
How Nicole 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 Nicole's total volume
Nicole vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nicole by state
Where Nicole concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 75,577 | 12.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 63,593 | 10.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 36,465 | 6.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 34,565 | 5.8% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 28,591 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 28,237 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Florida | | 27,903 | 4.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 27,377 | 4.6% |
California share of Nicole's total US births 12.7%
Even split
75,577 of 594,500 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Nicole appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nicole? ▼
Nicole has been given to 594,500 babies in the U.S. since 1937, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #318 as of the latest data. 22,966 babies were born in 1985, its single highest year.
When was Nicole most popular? ▼
Nicole was most popular in the 1980s decade with 210,494 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Nicole most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nicole are California (75,577 births), New York (63,593 births), Pennsylvania (36,465 births).
How long has the name Nicole been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nicole since 1937 -- 89 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nicole? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nichole, Nicolette, Nicki, Nicolle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nicole's data
- Nicole's decade-level peak was the 1980s (210,494 total births); usage has since declined to 5,823 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nicoles (75,577 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 Nicole
Nearby Names Like Nicole
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nicole
Nichole Girl
#3343 63,770 births
Nicolette Girl
#2015 17,129 births
Nicki Girl
6,083 births
Nicolle Girl
#3025 6,077 births
Nichelle Girl
#10425 5,543 births
Compare Nicole side by side: Nicole vs Nichole Nicole vs Nicolette Nicole vs Nicki
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nicole
Hope #317
97,225 births · Peak 2000
Nayeli #319
24,651 births · Peak 2001
Fatima #316
38,945 births · Peak 2006
Journey #320
20,882 births · Peak 2018
Francesca #315
35,331 births · Peak 2025
Nina #321
133,788 births · Peak 1980
Adelyn #314
23,612 births · Peak 2015
Catherine #322
667,789 births · Peak 1956
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, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nicole: #318 Girls' Name - 594,500 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nicole. 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 Nicole 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.