Total births
24,035
Boys' name · since 1937
Nikolas
24,035 babies named Nikolas in U.S. Social Security records since 1937, with the highest year being 2004. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #730
- among boys today
- 24,035
- born since 1937
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Nikolas is the #730 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 24,035 recorded since 1937.
Nikolas has 24,035 recorded births among boys since 1937, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #730 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of boys, 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 1937 to 2025.
- #730 among boys today
- 24,035 born since 1937
- 2000s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Nikolas is currently the #730 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 24,035 born since 1937, peaking in the 2000s.
- #730
- among boys today
- 24,035
- born since 1937
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Nikolas vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#730
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Nikolas was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
1,060 babies were named Nikolas in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Nikolas compares
24,035 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Nikolas's all-time total is 65x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nikolas | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 24,035 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,060 | 23 | 22,252 |
Nikolas's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nikolas's full recorded timeline at 1992, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1949, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2004 peak of 1,060 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nikolas at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2004
Current rank
#730
Active since
1937
Nikolas popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 1,060
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Nikolas popularity over time - girls
15 total births recorded since 1989 (Nikolas as girls' name)
Nikolas by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Nikolas's strongest decade.
7,812 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Nikolas births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 107
1960s
107 births
- 1970s 502
1970s
502 births
- 1980s 1,955
1980s
1,955 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,946 births
- 2000s
2000s
7,812 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,133 births
- 2020s 2,564
2020s
2,564 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 7,812 births (33% of all-time use).
How Nikolas 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 Nikolas's total volume
Nikolas vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Nikolas by state
Where Nikolas concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,909 | 16.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 2,130 | 8.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,551 | 6.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,536 | 6.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,239 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 917 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 872 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 753 | 3.1% |
California share of Nikolas's total US births 16.3%
Even split
3,909 of 24,035 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Nikolas appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nikolas? ▼
Since 1937, Social Security records show 24,035 babies named Nikolas. Today it holds rank #730 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2004, with 1,060 births.
When was Nikolas most popular? ▼
Nikolas was most popular in the 2000s decade with 7,812 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Nikolas most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nikolas are California (3,909 births), Texas (2,130 births), Florida (1,551 births).
How long has the name Nikolas been used? ▼
Nikolas has been recorded in Social Security data since 1937, spanning 89 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nikolas? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Niko, Nikolai, Nikhil, Nikko, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Nikolas's data
- Nikolas's decade-level peak was the 2000s (7,812 total births); usage has since declined to 2,564 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Nikolass (3,909 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 Nikolas
Nearby Names Like Nikolas
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nikolas
Niko Boy
#344 14,629 births
Nikolai Boy
#593 11,027 births
Nikhil Boy
#2541 5,404 births
Nikko Boy
#1280 4,526 births
Nikola Boy
#1593 3,444 births
Compare Nikolas side by side: Nikolas vs Niko Nikolas vs Nikolai Nikolas vs Nikhil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nikolas
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, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nikolas: #730 Boys' Name - 24,035 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nikolas. 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 Nikolas 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.