Baby Name Popularity Profile

Nicholas

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Nicholas.

✦ Victory of the people 🌍 Greek traditional biblical
National Rank (2025) #112
All-Time Peak Rank #5 Achieved 1999
Total U.S. Births 926,047 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.9% Boy / 0.1% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1990s 29,160 births in 1995
πŸ’‘ The Nicholas Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Victory of the people
Language Origin Greek
Origin Type single
Derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, composed of 'nikΔ“' (victory) and 'laos' (people).
Common Nicknames
Nick Nicky
Alternative Spellings
Nicolas Nikolas
Pronunciation: NIK-Ι™-lΙ™s
Themes & Categories
traditional biblical
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Nicholas

According to SSA data, Nicholas achieved its highest historical rank of #5 in 1999. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1995 with 29,160 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 50.3%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Nicholas across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -50.3% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 29,160 births in 1995
Years in Top 100 51 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 730
1890s: 857
1900s: 1,334
1910s: 10,233
1920s: 13,608
1930s: 9,716
1940s: 15,503
1950s: 22,614
1960s: 22,339
1970s: 65,068
1980s: 223,308
1990s: 275,329
2000s: 177,609
2010s: 66,811
2020s: 20,988

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Nic-ho-las
Letter Count 8 letters
Spelling Complexity Complex
Length Percentile Longer than 79% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 79.0% of SSA names. Starts with N, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Nicholas.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State New Hampshire
Top States New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Nevada
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
New Hampshire #140 5,260 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #60 17,103 1993 32.1% Decline
Rhode Island #65 5,697 1993 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #40 41,925 1995 26.2% Decline
Nevada #133 4,572 1995 11.1% Decline
Alaska Unranked 1,890 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware #75 2,739 1991 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #98 32,354 1992 32.4% Decline
New York #52 96,091 1995 26.4% Decline
Maine #165 5,170 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #241 21,621 1980 29.7% Decline
Vermont Unranked 2,011 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #99 39,443 1995 12.4% Decline
Wisconsin #161 21,675 1979 +11.1% Growth
Colorado #157 13,019 1989 +35.3% Growth
Arizona #150 13,262 1995 25.9% Decline
Maryland #120 16,102 1995 30.0% Decline
Oregon #186 9,652 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #198 16,608 1989 36.2% Decline
Ohio #148 47,134 1995 24.4% Decline
Michigan #157 38,507 1989 29.3% Decline
Pennsylvania #70 53,964 1995 12.6% Decline
Illinois #89 49,205 1994 33.3% Decline
California #93 97,184 1990 28.8% Decline
Iowa #287 12,166 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #183 21,227 1989 38.2% Decline
Nebraska #205 6,461 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii #203 2,698 1991 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #139 3,462 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #183 6,999 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #226 18,936 1989 42.9% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 1,145 1981 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #110 17,384 1998 18.9% Decline
Kansas #289 7,730 1989 59.4% Decline
District of Columbia Unranked 3,257 1987 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico #143 3,807 1988 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #228 12,780 1995 45.2% Decline
North Dakota Unranked 2,374 1987 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota #212 2,328 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 2,056 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #150 18,300 1995 +1.2% Growth
Kentucky #178 10,722 1995 22.0% Decline
North Carolina #162 17,685 1998 24.0% Decline
Texas #123 46,062 1998 17.0% Decline
Tennessee #220 12,692 1999 41.4% Decline
South Carolina #148 7,770 1999 25.0% Decline
Oklahoma #177 6,955 1989 12.5% Decline
West Virginia #245 4,597 1994 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #161 8,831 2000 12.2% Decline
Arkansas #244 5,164 1995 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #149 4,961 1995 18.5% Decline

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
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