Baby Name Popularity Profile

Nicole

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

✦ Victory of the people 🌍 French, Greek traditional
National Rank (2025) #383
All-Time Peak Rank #6 Achieved 1982
Total U.S. Births 594,500 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.1% Boy / 99.9% Girl Overwhelmingly Female
First Recorded 1937 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1980s 22,966 births in 1985
πŸ’‘ The Nicole Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Victory of the people
Language Origin French, Greek
Origin Type multiple
Feminine form of Nicholas, derived from Greek Nikolaos, meaning 'victory of the people' from nikΔ“ 'victory' and laos 'people'.
Common Nicknames
Nikki Nicky Cole
Alternative Spellings
Nicolle Nikole
Pronunciation: ni-KOHL
Themes & Categories
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Nicole

According to SSA data, Nicole achieved its highest historical rank of #6 in 1982. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1985 with 22,966 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 62.1%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 89 consecutive years.

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

Registration footprint of Nicole across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -62.1% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 22,966 births in 1985
Years in Top 100 40 yrs
Years in Top 500 64 yrs
Registry Streak 89 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 0
1890s: 0
1900s: 0
1910s: 0
1920s: 0
1930s: 28
1940s: 616
1950s: 1,314
1960s: 18,564
1970s: 144,667
1980s: 210,494
1990s: 136,103
2000s: 54,585
2010s: 22,306
2020s: 5,823

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Ni-cole
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with N, a letter used by only 3.6% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

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πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State New Jersey
Top States New Jersey, New Hampshire, Nevada, Connecticut, Hawaii
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
New Jersey #525 28,591 1988 59.5% Decline
New Hampshire Unranked 3,079 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #491 3,257 1990 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #343 10,300 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 2,871 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 3,359 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 1,234 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #890 16,710 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #369 20,481 1985 38.5% Decline
New York #324 63,593 1986 50.0% Decline
Florida #194 27,903 1988 29.1% Decline
Delaware Unranked 1,663 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota Unranked 14,544 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 1,352 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #280 9,306 1985 16.1% Decline
California #253 75,577 1985 39.4% Decline
Michigan #724 28,237 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #384 8,885 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 3,156 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 960 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #213 34,565 1982 37.3% Decline
Maryland #453 10,491 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #433 5,662 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 6,250 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #297 11,077 1985 3.8% Decline
Pennsylvania #438 36,465 1980 3.8% Decline
North Dakota Unranked 2,261 1983 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 2,887 1970 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 4,579 1979 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico #367 3,246 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #460 2,349 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #703 27,377 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 1,797 1979 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 7,780 1983 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 1,958 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #1004 11,728 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri Unranked 10,325 1982 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 8,305 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 4,696 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #394 9,721 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #330 26,796 1983 27.8% Decline
Oklahoma #607 4,038 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #426 7,332 1985 6.9% Decline
North Carolina #485 6,707 1972 8.0% Decline
West Virginia Unranked 2,133 1984 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #396 3,277 1983 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #490 3,609 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #425 3,975 1972 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 2,011 1985 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #798 2,746 1980 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi Unranked 1,683 1972 Insufficient historical volume

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

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