boys' name ★ peaked 1998

Nickolas

Meaning Rare spelling variant of Nicholas Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,498 Trend ↓ Falling 44%

Rare spelling variant of Nicholas.

Rank 2025
#1,498
among boys · ↑47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
118
named Nickolas · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 14,475
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1998
1,156 babies
All-time total
39,403
#580 all-time among boys
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Nickolas popularity over time

39,403 babies have been named Nickolas since 1882, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 30 30 3 – #813
1890s – 17 17 2 -43% #1,044
1900s – 66 66 7 +288% #794
1910s – 823 823 82 +1147% #496
1920s – 1,302 1,302 130 +58% #498
1930s – 685 685 69 -47% #566
1940s – 768 768 77 +12% #690
1950s – 1,003 1,003 100 +31% #647
1960s – 910 910 91 -9% #687
1970s – 2,380 2,380 238 +162% #310
1980s 42 7,237 7,279 728 +206% #248
1990s – 10,729 10,729 1,073 +47% #259
2000s 5 9,012 9,017 902 -16% #282
2010s – 3,536 3,536 354 -61% #466
2020s (to 2025) – 858 858 143 -60% #1,043

Where Nickolas is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 107 0.06 outside top 500
2027 99 0.06 outside top 500
2028 92 0.05 outside top 500
2029 87 0.05 outside top 500
2030 83 0.05 outside top 500

Where Nickolas is most popular

Boys named Nickolas per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.077 per 1,000. Strongest in Florida, New York, and California.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Nickolas born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Florida 69 0.146 +90%
New York 50 0.115 +50%
California 93 0.102 +33%
Texas 89 0.101 +32%
New Jersey 20 0.099 +29%
Ohio 20 0.075 ≈ national
Pennsylvania 20 0.075 ≈ national
Illinois 19 0.074 ≈ national
Massachusetts 10 0.073 -5%
Arizona 11 0.067 -12%
Washington 6 0.037 -52%
Virginia 5 0.026 -66%
Georgia 5 0.020 -74%
North Carolina 5 0.020 -74%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Nickolas

Nickolas is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,498 in 2025 with 118 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 39,403 American babies have been named Nickolas. Its peak came in 1998, when 1,156 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Nickolas stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nickolas?

The median living Nickolas is about 29 years old; half are between 21 and 38. An estimated 35 thousand people named Nickolas are alive in the United States today.

median 29 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nickolas 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 – – 118 #1,498
2024 – – 114 #1,545
2023 – – 130 #1,414
2022 – – 133 #1,402
2021 – – 168 #1,178
2020 – – 195 #1,043
2019 – – 208 #1,007
2018 – – 265 #841
2017 – – 223 #939
2016 – – 301 #789
2015 – – 339 #728
2014 – – 335 #722
2013 – – 380 #645
2012 – – 457 #566
2011 – – 463 #550
2010 – – 565 #466
2009 – – 621 #447
2008 – – 739 #400
2007 – – 842 #369
2006 – – 938 #335
2005 – – 939 #328
2004 5 #18,048 1,069 #298
2003 – – 911 #325
2002 – – 891 #317
2001 – – 973 #301
2000 – – 1,089 #282
1995 – – 1,052 #267
1990 – – 998 #268
1985 6 #10,236 671 #306
1980 7 #8,771 680 #299
1975 – – 138 #706
1970 – – 130 #723
1965 – – 74 #857
1960 – – 91 #802
1955 – – 97 #742
1950 – – 92 #716
1945 – – 65 #766
1940 – – 61 #797
1935 – – 57 #828
1930 – – 113 #566
1925 – – 135 #530
1920 – – 140 #517
1915 – – 92 #599
1910 – – 10 #1,096
1905 – – – –
1900 – – 7 #1,134
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – 5 #1,047
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nickolas, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nickolas?

The median living Nickolas is about 29 years old. Half of all living Nickolass are between 21 and 38 years old.

How many people named Nickolas are alive today?

An estimated 35 thousand people named Nickolas are alive in the United States, based on 39,403 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nickolas mean?

Rare spelling variant of Nicholas.

How popular is the name Nickolas in 2025?

Nickolas ranked #1,498 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 118 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nickolas?

39,403 babies have been named Nickolas in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nickolas most popular?

Nickolas peaked in 1998, when 1,156 newborns received the name.

Is Nickolas a boy or girl name?

Nickolas is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nickolas rising or falling?

Nickolas is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nickolas become more popular?

Nickolas is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 83 boys named Nickolas in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nickolas

Names that sound and feel close to Nickolas: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nickolas with similar names → More names starting with N →