Total births
1,218
Girls' name · since 1988
Nikayla
1,218 babies named Nikayla in U.S. Social Security records since 1988, with the highest year being 1999. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11437
- among girls today
- 1,218
- born since 1988
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 35%
- more common than other girls
Nikayla currently ranks #11437 among girls' names in America, with 1,218 babies recorded since 1988.
Social Security Administration records show Nikayla recorded 1,218 times among girls since 1988, holding rank #11437 nationally today, ahead of 35% of girls, 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 1988 to 2025.
- #11437 among girls today
- 1,218 born since 1988
- 2000s peak decade
- 35% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Nikayla is currently the #11437 girls' name in America, more common than 35% of girls - 1,218 born since 1988, peaking in the 2000s.
- #11437
- among girls today
- 1,218
- born since 1988
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 35%
- more common than other girls
Nikayla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#11437
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 35% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Nikayla was born in this single decade.
1999
Single peak year
67 babies were named Nikayla in 1999 - its busiest year on record.
How Nikayla compares
1,218 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Nikayla's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikayla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,218 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 67 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nikayla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Nikayla's SSA record in two at 2007 and the more recent half accounts for 34% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 66%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2020, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1999 peak of 67, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Nikayla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1999
Current rank
#11,437
Active since
1988
Nikayla popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2025
- Peak year (1999)
- 67
- Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
Nikayla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nikayla's strongest decade.
562 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Nikayla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 17
1980s
17 births
- 1990s
1990s
361 births
- 2000s
2000s
562 births
- 2010s
2010s
241 births
- 2020s 37
2020s
37 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 562 births (46% of all-time use).
How Nikayla 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 Nikayla's total volume
Nikayla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nikayla by state
Where Nikayla concentrates geographically, total births since 1988
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Florida | | 36 | 3.0% |
| #2 | California | | 31 | 2.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 28 | 2.3% |
| #4 | New York | | 25 | 2.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 5 | 0.4% |
Florida share of Nikayla's total US births 3.0%
Even split
36 of 1,218 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Nikayla appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikayla? ▼
Nikayla has been given to 1,218 babies in the U.S. since 1988, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #11437 as of the latest data. 67 babies were born in 1999, its single highest year.
When was Nikayla most popular? ▼
Nikayla was most popular in the 2000s decade with 562 total births. The single peak year was 1999.
Where is Nikayla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nikayla are Florida (36 births), California (31 births), Texas (28 births).
How long has the name Nikayla been used? ▼
Nikayla has been recorded in Social Security data since 1988, spanning 38 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nikayla? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nikki, Nikita, Niki, Nikole, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nikayla's data
- Nikayla's decade-level peak was the 2000s (562 total births); usage has since declined to 37 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Florida records the most Nikaylas (36 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Florida 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 Nikayla
Nearby Names Like Nikayla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikayla
Nikki Girl
#3407 40,109 births
Nikita Girl
#4404 10,778 births
Niki Girl
#9639 7,048 births
Nikole Girl
#6706 6,982 births
Nikia Girl
3,728 births
Compare Nikayla side by side: Nikayla vs Nikki Nikayla vs Nikita Nikayla vs Niki
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikayla
Jalyssa #11436
1,703 births · Peak 2007
Calynn #11438
504 births · Peak 2008
Indiya #11435
389 births · Peak 2000
Anasia #11439
922 births · Peak 2002
Elainna #11434
282 births · Peak 2012
Kimbria #11440
119 births · Peak 2023
Dejanae #11433
1,111 births · Peak 2002
Mikhaela #11441
377 births · Peak 1997
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1988–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikayla: #11437 Girls' Name - 1,218 Births, Peak 1999." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikayla. 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 Nikayla 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 July 2026.