Total births
149
Boys' name · since 1987
Nikholas
Nikholas has 149 recorded births since 1987 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2011 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 149
- total births
- 1987–2019
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that decade
Nikholas sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 149 recorded since 1987.
Nikholas has 149 recorded births among boys since 1987, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2019.
- 149 total births
- 1987–2019 years on record
- 2000s peak decade
- 42% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
149 boys have been named Nikholas since 1987, peaking in the 2000s, last recorded in 2019.
- 149
- total births
- 1987–2019
- years on record
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 42%
- born in that decade
2000s
Peak decade
42% of everyone ever named Nikholas was born in this single decade.
2011
Single peak year
13 babies were named Nikholas in 2011 - its busiest year on record.
Nikholas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nikholas's full recorded timeline at 2006, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1987, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2011 peak of 13 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nikholas at a glance
Last recorded 2019Peak year
2011
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1987
Nikholas popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2019
- Peak year (2011)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 33 years of records
Nikholas by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nikholas's strongest decade.
62 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Nikholas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s
1990s
29 births
- 2000s
2000s
62 births
- 2010s
2010s
53 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 62 births (42% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikholas? ▼
Since 1987, Social Security records show 149 babies named Nikholas. The most recent recorded year was 2019. Its busiest year on record was 2011, with 13 births.
When was Nikholas most popular? ▼
Nikholas was most popular in the 2000s decade with 62 total births. The single peak year was 2011.
How long has the name Nikholas been used? ▼
Records for Nikholas go back to 1987, giving 33 years of history through 2019.
What names are similar to Nikholas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nikolas, Niko, Nikolai, Nikhil, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nikholas's data
- Nikholas's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (62 total births) through the 2010s (53) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Nikholas
Nearby Names Like Nikholas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikholas
Nikolas Boy
#730 24,035 births
Niko Boy
#344 14,629 births
Nikolai Boy
#593 11,027 births
Nikhil Boy
#2541 5,404 births
Nikko Boy
#1280 4,526 births
Compare Nikholas side by side: Nikholas vs Nikolas Nikholas vs Niko Nikholas vs Nikolai
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1987–2019 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikholas: Baby Name Since 1987 - 149 Births, Peak 2011." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikholas. 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 Nikholas 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.