Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1972

Nicola

Gender Unisex · 63% girls Rank 2025 #8,720 Trend ↑ Rising 12%

A feminine version of Nicholas, first used in the 20th century.

Rank 2025
#8,720
among girls · ↓1,220 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
40
named Nicola · -20% vs 2024
How common
1 in 133,939
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1972
236 babies
All-time total
8,090
#2,549 all-time among girls
First recorded
1908
in Social Security records

Nicola popularity over time

8,090 babies have been named Nicola since 1908, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 6 6 1 – –
1910s – 197 197 20 +3183% –
1920s 5 188 193 19 -2% #5,555
1930s 16 85 101 10 -48% #4,125
1940s 277 84 361 36 +257% #1,284
1950s 288 159 447 45 +24% #1,610
1960s 685 335 1,020 102 +128% #889
1970s 1,320 441 1,761 176 +73% #762
1980s 864 320 1,184 118 -33% #1,211
1990s 784 413 1,197 120 +1% #1,602
2000s 528 349 877 88 -27% #2,194
2010s 233 245 478 48 -45% #4,097
2020s (to 2025) 78 190 268 45 -7% #6,343

The story of Nicola

Nicola is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,720 in 2025 with 12 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1908, 8,090 American babies have been named Nicola, about 63% girls and 37% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1972, when 236 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

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

How old are people named Nicola?

The median living Nicola is about 42 years old; half are between 27 and 54. An estimated 7,100 people named Nicola are alive in the United States today.

median 42 020406080100

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

Nicola 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 12 #8,720 28 #3,920
2024 15 #7,500 35 #3,372
2023 19 #6,343 29 #3,856
2022 13 #8,392 37 #3,258
2021 9 #10,893 35 #3,342
2020 10 #10,074 26 #3,994
2019 16 #7,245 27 #3,966
2018 15 #7,660 28 #3,857
2017 11 #9,773 26 #4,064
2016 21 #6,133 20 #4,891
2015 21 #6,190 31 #3,566
2014 33 #4,427 18 #5,203
2013 16 #7,653 22 #4,421
2012 37 #4,097 23 #4,347
2011 30 #4,781 27 #3,864
2010 33 #4,471 23 #4,332
2009 34 #4,447 28 #3,796
2008 39 #4,065 37 #3,148
2007 47 #3,518 37 #3,118
2006 40 #3,837 30 #3,502
2005 50 #3,159 26 #3,691
2004 70 #2,439 33 #3,056
2003 60 #2,664 40 #2,566
2002 76 #2,194 33 #2,868
2001 58 #2,623 42 #2,371
2000 54 #2,732 43 #2,284
1995 77 #1,849 42 #2,011
1990 94 #1,602 42 #1,862
1985 87 #1,444 34 #1,780
1980 109 #1,211 31 #1,839
1975 129 #969 43 #1,335
1970 120 #1,034 47 #1,215
1965 58 #1,455 40 #1,217
1960 30 #2,134 32 #1,421
1955 41 #1,610 10 #2,706
1950 30 #1,754 13 #2,172
1945 38 #1,306 7 #2,920
1940 9 #3,139 12 #2,154
1935 – – 9 #2,655
1930 – – 9 #2,941
1925 – – 16 #2,058
1920 5 #5,555 25 #1,536
1915 – – 31 #1,178
1910 – – 5 #1,775
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Nicola

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Nicola Peltz Nicola Peltz American actress (born 1995) Contemporary
  2. 2 Nicola Walker Nicola Walker British actress (born 1970) Contemporary
  3. 3 Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023 b. 1970 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Nicola Roberts Nicola Roberts British singer-songwriter (born 1985) Contemporary
  5. 5 Nicola Adams Nicola Adams British boxer (born 1982) Contemporary
  6. 6 Nicola Pietrangeli Nicola Pietrangeli Italian tennis player (1933–2025) Contemporary
  7. 7 Nicola Berti Italian footballer (born 1967) Contemporary
  8. 8 Nicola Rizzoli Nicola Rizzoli Italian football referee b. 1971 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Nicola Larini Nicola Larini Italian racing driver (born 1964) Contemporary
  10. 10 Nicola Ventola Nicola Ventola Italian footballer b. 1978 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Nicola Griffith Nicola Griffith British-American writer (b. 1960) Contemporary
  12. 12 Nicola Amoruso Italian footballer b. 1974 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Nicola Legrottaglie Nicola Legrottaglie Italian footballer (born 1976) Contemporary
  14. 14 Nicola Romeo Nicola Romeo Italian engineer and entrepreneur (1876–1938) 19th century
  15. 15 Nicola Di Bari Nicola Di Bari Italian singer-songwriter and actor (born 1940) Contemporary
  16. 16 Nicola Formichetti Nicola Formichetti Italian-Japanese fashion director and fashion editor b. 1977 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Nicola Porpora Nicola Porpora Italian composer (1686–1768) 17th century
  18. 18 Nicola Pisano Nicola Pisano Italian sculptor (died 1284) 1225–1284 · Medieval
  19. 19 Nicola Leali Nicola Leali Italian footballer (born 1993) Contemporary
  20. 20 Nicola Amati Nicola Amati Italian master luthier (1596–1684) 16th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nicola?

The median living Nicola is about 42 years old. Half of all living Nicolas are between 27 and 54 years old.

How many people named Nicola are alive today?

An estimated 7,100 people named Nicola are alive in the United States, based on 8,090 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nicola mean?

A feminine version of Nicholas, first used in the 20th century.

How popular is the name Nicola in 2025?

Nicola ranked #8,720 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 12 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nicola?

8,090 babies have been named Nicola in the United States since 1908, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nicola most popular?

Nicola peaked in 1972, when 236 newborns received the name.

Is Nicola a boy or girl name?

Nicola is used for both: about 63% of babies named Nicola have been girls and 37% boys.

Is the name Nicola rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Nicola?

Well-known people named Nicola include Nicola Peltz (actor), Nicola Walker (actor), Nicola Sturgeon (politician).

Names like Nicola

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

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