Total births
10,778
Unisex name · since 1949
Nikita
Since 1949, U.S. Social Security records show 10,778 babies named Nikita, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4404
- among girls today
- 10,778
- born since 1949
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other girls
Nikita currently ranks #4404 among unisex names in America, with 10,778 babies recorded since 1949.
Social Security Administration records show Nikita recorded 10,778 times among girls since 1949, holding rank #4404 nationally today, ahead of 75% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1949 to 2025.
- #4404 among girls today
- 10,778 born since 1949
- 1980s peak decade
- 75% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nikita is currently the #4404 unisex name in America, more common than 75% of girls - 10,778 born since 1949, peaking in the 1980s.
- #4404
- among girls today
- 10,778
- born since 1949
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 75%
- more common than other girls
Nikita vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4404
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 75% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Nikita was born in this single decade.
1986
Single peak year
1,034 babies were named Nikita in 1986 - its busiest year on record.
How Nikita compares
10,778 Top 9% higher than 91% 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
Nikita's all-time total is 28x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikita | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,778 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,034 | 48 | 19,840 |
Nikita's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nikita splits its recorded history at 1990: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1949 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1986 peak of 1,034 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nikita at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1986
Current rank
#4,404
Active since
1949
Nikita popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1949–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 1,034
- Annual births at peak, across 77 years of records
Nikita popularity over time - boys
2,890 total births recorded since 1959 (Nikita as boys' name)
Nikita by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Nikita's strongest decade.
3,343 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Nikita births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 83
1950s
83 births
- 1960s 318
1960s
318 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,447 births
- 1980s
1980s
3,343 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,952 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,507 births
- 2010s 886
2010s
886 births
- 2020s 237
2020s
237 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 3,343 births (31% of all-time use).
How Nikita 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 Nikita's total volume
Nikita vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nikita by state
Where Nikita concentrates geographically, total births since 1949
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 920 | 8.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 691 | 6.4% |
| #3 | Texas | | 599 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 589 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 559 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 423 | 3.9% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 379 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 343 | 3.2% |
California share of Nikita's total US births 8.5%
Even split
920 of 10,778 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Nikita appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikita? ▼
10,778 babies have been named Nikita since 1949. It currently ranks #4404 among girls. The peak year was 1986 with 1,034 births.
When was Nikita most popular? ▼
Nikita was most popular in the 1980s decade with 3,343 total births. The single peak year was 1986.
Where is Nikita most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nikita are California (920 births), New York (691 births), Texas (599 births).
Is Nikita a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Nikita is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 10,778 births, and as a boy's name it has 2,890 births.
How long has the name Nikita been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nikita since 1949 -- 77 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Nikita? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nikki, Niki, Nikole, Nikia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nikita's data
- Nikita's decade-level peak was the 1980s (3,343 total births); usage has since declined to 237 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nikitas (920 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 Nikita
Nearby Names Like Nikita
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikita
Nikki Girl
#3407 40,109 births
Niki Girl
#9639 7,048 births
Nikole Girl
#6706 6,982 births
Nikia Girl
3,728 births
Nika Girl
#3093 2,497 births
Compare Nikita side by side: Nikita vs Nikki Nikita vs Niki Nikita vs Nikole
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikita
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, 1949–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikita: #4404 Unisex Name - 10,778 Births, Peak 1986." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikita. 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 Nikita 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.