Unisex name · since 1960
Nikola
Since 1960, U.S. Social Security records show 3,444 babies named Nikola, peaking in 2020. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,307 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,652 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,444
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
3,444 babies have been named Nikola since 1960, making it today's #1652 unisex name.
Nikola has 3,444 recorded births among boys since 1960, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1652 as of the latest data, more common than 88% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1960 to 2025.
- #2,307 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,652 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,444 born since 1960
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nikola ranks #2,307 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,652 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,444 born since 1960, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,307 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,652 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,444
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
Nikola's 3,444 recorded births place it above 94.92% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Illinois.
How Nikola compares
3,444 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Nikola's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikola | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,444 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 151 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nikola's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nikola's full recorded timeline at 1994, 85% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 15% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1960, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2020 peak of 151 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nikola popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (2020)
- 151
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Nikola popularity over time - girls
658 total births recorded since 1948 (Nikola as girls' name)
Nikola by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,197 births, 35% of the file).
2010s was Nikola's strongest decade.
1,197 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Nikola births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 54
1960s
54 births
- 1970s 145
1970s
145 births
- 1980s 192
1980s
192 births
- 1990s 405
1990s
405 births
- 2000s
2000s
692 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,197 births
- 2020s
2020s
759 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,197 births (35% of all-time use).
How Nikola 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 Nikola's total volume
Nikola by state
Where Nikola concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 445 | 12.9% |
| #2 | California | | 435 | 12.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 217 | 6.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 172 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 123 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Texas | | 113 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 44 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 33 | 1.0% |
445 of 3,444 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Nikola appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nikola's data
- Nikola's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,197 total births) through the 2020s (759) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Illinois records the most Nikolas (445 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nikola
Nearby Names Like Nikola
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikola
Compare Nikola side by side: Nikola vs Nikolas Nikola vs Niko Nikola vs Nikolai
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikola
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nikola: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2020)
Similar record span (~65 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, 1960–2025 (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 Nikola 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.