Total births
11,027
Boys' name · since 1960
Nikolai
Nikolai has 11,027 recorded births since 1960 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #593
- among boys today
- 11,027
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
11,027 babies have been named Nikolai since 1960, making it today's #593 boys' name.
Nikolai has 11,027 recorded births among boys since 1960, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #593 as of the latest data, more common than 96% 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.
- #593 among boys today
- 11,027 born since 1960
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nikolai is currently the #593 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 11,027 born since 1960, peaking in the 2010s.
- #593
- among boys today
- 11,027
- born since 1960
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Nikolai vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#593
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Nikolai was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
639 babies were named Nikolai in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Nikolai compares
11,027 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 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
Nikolai's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikolai | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,027 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 639 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nikolai's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nikolai's full recorded timeline at 1994, 93% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 7% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1961, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 639 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nikolai at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2016
Current rank
#593
Active since
1960
Nikolai popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1960–2025
- Peak year (2016)
- 639
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Nikolai by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nikolai's strongest decade.
5,060 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Nikolai births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 52
1960s
52 births
- 1970s 202
1970s
202 births
- 1980s 291
1980s
291 births
- 1990s 733
1990s
733 births
- 2000s 1,632
2000s
1,632 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,060 births
- 2020s
2020s
3,057 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,060 births (46% of all-time use).
How Nikolai 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 Nikolai's total volume
Nikolai vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nikolai by state
Where Nikolai concentrates geographically, total births since 1960
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,669 | 15.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 1,025 | 9.3% |
| #3 | Florida | | 722 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 520 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 333 | 3.0% |
| #6 | Washington | | 303 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 296 | 2.7% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 290 | 2.6% |
California share of Nikolai's total US births 15.1%
Even split
1,669 of 11,027 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Nikolai appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikolai? ▼
Nikolai has been given to 11,027 babies in the U.S. since 1960, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #593 as of the latest data. 639 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Nikolai most popular? ▼
Nikolai was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,060 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Nikolai most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nikolai are California (1,669 births), Texas (1,025 births), Florida (722 births).
How long has the name Nikolai been used? ▼
Nikolai has been recorded in Social Security data since 1960, spanning 66 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nikolai? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nikolas, Niko, Nikhil, Nikko, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nikolai's data
- Nikolai's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (5,060 total births) through the 2020s (3,057) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nikolais (1,669 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 Nikolai
Nearby Names Like Nikolai
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikolai
Nikolas Boy
#730 24,035 births
Niko Boy
#344 14,629 births
Nikhil Boy
#2541 5,404 births
Nikko Boy
#1280 4,526 births
Nikola Boy
#1593 3,444 births
Compare Nikolai side by side: Nikolai vs Nikolas Nikolai vs Niko Nikolai vs Nikhil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikolai
Anakin #592
5,842 births · Peak 2023
Keegan #594
38,519 births · Peak 2007
Ocean #591
4,411 births · Peak 2024
Gerardo #595
55,015 births · Peak 2000
Maximo #590
9,223 births · Peak 2025
Mohammed #596
16,225 births · Peak 2014
Samir #589
11,094 births · Peak 2023
Kaysen #597
6,640 births · Peak 2025
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, 1960–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikolai: #593 Boys' Name - 11,027 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikolai. 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 Nikolai 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.