Total births
154
Boys' name · since 2001
Nikolaj
154 babies named Nikolaj in U.S. Social Security records since 2001, with the highest year being 2019. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #9485
- among boys today
- 154
- born since 2001
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 34%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Nikolaj is the #9485 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 154 recorded since 2001.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nikolaj has been recorded 154 times among boys since 2001, currently ranked #9485 nationally and more common than 34% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2001 to 2024.
- #9485 among boys today
- 154 born since 2001
- 2010s peak decade
- 34% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nikolaj is currently the #9485 boys' name in America, more common than 34% of boys - 154 born since 2001, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9485
- among boys today
- 154
- born since 2001
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 34%
- more common than other boys
Nikolaj vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#9485
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 34% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
58% of everyone ever named Nikolaj was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
19 babies were named Nikolaj in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Nikolaj compares
154 33th percentile among 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
Nikolaj's all-time total is 58% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikolaj | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 154 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 19 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nikolaj's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nikolaj's full recorded timeline at 2015, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 2001, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2019 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nikolaj at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#9,485
Active since
2001
Nikolaj popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2001–2024
- Peak year (2019)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 24 years of records
Nikolaj by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Nikolaj's strongest decade.
90 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 58% of all-time use.
Nikolaj births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 27
2000s
27 births
- 2010s
2010s
90 births
- 2020s
2020s
37 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 90 births (58% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikolaj? ▼
154 babies have been named Nikolaj since 2001. It currently ranks #9485 among boys. The peak year was 2019 with 19 births.
When was Nikolaj most popular? ▼
Nikolaj was most popular in the 2010s decade with 90 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
How long has the name Nikolaj been used? ▼
Nikolaj has been recorded in Social Security data since 2001, spanning 24 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Nikolaj? ▼
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 Nikolaj's data
- Nikolaj's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (90 total births) through the 2020s (37) -- 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 Nikolaj
Nearby Names Like Nikolaj
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikolaj
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 Nikolaj side by side: Nikolaj vs Nikolas Nikolaj vs Niko Nikolaj vs Nikolai
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikolaj
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, 2001–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikolaj: #9485 Boys' Name - 154 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikolaj. 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 Nikolaj 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.