Nicolas
Every Nicolas since 1882 — 101,764 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nicolas
Nicolas is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #177 in 2025 with 2,053 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1882, 101,764 American babies have been named Nicolas. Its peak came in 2003, when 3,012 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nicolas stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nicolas year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 2,053 | #177 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,997 | #184 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,901 | #192 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,989 | #191 |
| 2021 | — | — | 2,009 | #189 |
| 2020 | — | — | 1,894 | #202 |
| 2019 | — | — | 2,145 | #181 |
| 2018 | — | — | 2,098 | #195 |
| 2017 | 5 | #17,726 | 1,919 | #206 |
| 2016 | — | — | 2,085 | #194 |
| 2015 | — | — | 1,998 | #202 |
| 2014 | — | — | 2,077 | #196 |
| 2013 | — | — | 2,129 | #191 |
| 2012 | — | — | 2,131 | #180 |
| 2011 | — | — | 2,242 | #168 |
| 2010 | — | — | 2,392 | #163 |
| 2009 | — | — | 2,491 | #157 |
| 2008 | — | — | 2,683 | #151 |
| 2007 | 6 | #17,028 | 2,833 | #144 |
| 2006 | 5 | #19,239 | 2,939 | #140 |
| 2005 | — | — | 2,966 | #136 |
| 2004 | 8 | #12,431 | 2,872 | #138 |
| 2003 | 9 | #11,079 | 3,003 | #134 |
| 2002 | — | — | 2,810 | #137 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10,768 | 2,824 | #142 |
| 2000 | 5 | #16,840 | 2,846 | #137 |
| 1995 | 7 | #11,389 | 2,006 | #164 |
| 1990 | 6 | #12,431 | 1,643 | #187 |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,323 | 1,001 | #231 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6,625 | 847 | #260 |
| 1975 | — | — | 309 | #454 |
| 1970 | — | — | 221 | #547 |
| 1965 | — | — | 139 | #639 |
| 1960 | — | — | 134 | #678 |
| 1955 | — | — | 90 | #769 |
| 1950 | — | — | 93 | #713 |
| 1945 | — | — | 69 | #742 |
| 1940 | — | — | 60 | #807 |
| 1935 | — | — | 57 | #829 |
| 1930 | — | — | 76 | #729 |
| 1925 | — | — | 83 | #714 |
| 1920 | — | — | 70 | #804 |
| 1915 | — | — | 57 | #810 |
| 1910 | — | — | 14 | #849 |
| 1905 | — | — | 7 | #1,061 |
| 1900 | — | — | 5 | #1,442 |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | 9 | #681 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Nicolas
- Nicolas Poussin Painter · 1594–1665
- Nicolas Flamel Writer · 1330–1425
- Nicolas Cage Actor · b. 1964
- Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot Engineer · 1796–1832
- Nicolas Sarkozy Politician · b. 1955
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Nicolas in 2025?
Nicolas ranked #177 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,053 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nicolas?
101,764 babies have been named Nicolas in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nicolas most popular?
Nicolas peaked in 2003, when 3,012 newborns received the name.
Is Nicolas a boy or girl name?
Nicolas is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Nicolas rising or falling?
Nicolas has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Nicolas?
Well-known people named Nicolas include Nicolas Poussin (painter), Nicolas Flamel (writer), Nicolas Cage (actor).