Nikola
A transliteration of the Bulgarian, Macedonian, or Serbo-Croatian male given name Никола (Nikola), equivalent to Nicholas
Every Nikola since 1948 — 4,102 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Nikola
Nikola is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,651 in 2025 with 102 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1948, 4,102 American babies have been named Nikola — about 84% boys and 16% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2020, when 159 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2020s.
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 Nikola stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Nikola 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 | 7 | #12,820 | 102 | #1,651 |
| 2024 | 6 | #14,801 | 108 | #1,595 |
| 2023 | 6 | #14,681 | 126 | #1,446 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,989 | 125 | #1,453 |
| 2021 | 12 | #8,852 | 147 | #1,295 |
| 2020 | 8 | #11,836 | 151 | #1,239 |
| 2019 | 18 | #6,630 | 134 | #1,344 |
| 2018 | 10 | #10,361 | 148 | #1,250 |
| 2017 | 9 | #11,371 | 132 | #1,357 |
| 2016 | 18 | #6,837 | 132 | #1,355 |
| 2015 | 16 | #7,511 | 141 | #1,277 |
| 2014 | 13 | #8,833 | 120 | #1,411 |
| 2013 | 11 | #10,070 | 110 | #1,490 |
| 2012 | 12 | #9,557 | 102 | #1,557 |
| 2011 | 9 | #11,908 | 97 | #1,597 |
| 2010 | 16 | #7,796 | 81 | #1,813 |
| 2009 | 11 | #10,471 | 81 | #1,837 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10,603 | 88 | #1,731 |
| 2007 | 11 | #10,628 | 65 | #2,107 |
| 2006 | 11 | #10,421 | 71 | #1,911 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7,407 | 61 | #2,053 |
| 2004 | 10 | #10,484 | 73 | #1,743 |
| 2003 | 5 | #17,646 | 54 | #2,096 |
| 2002 | 10 | #10,039 | 59 | #1,910 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,904 | 76 | #1,584 |
| 2000 | 13 | #7,916 | 64 | #1,753 |
| 1995 | 10 | #8,548 | 40 | #2,088 |
| 1990 | 5 | #14,533 | 34 | #2,152 |
| 1985 | 7 | #8,986 | 22 | #2,409 |
| 1980 | 7 | #8,774 | 20 | #2,504 |
| 1975 | 18 | #3,726 | 18 | #2,420 |
| 1970 | 17 | #3,676 | 12 | #2,836 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,651 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — | 5 | #4,435 |
| 1955 | — | — | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Nikola
- Nikola Tesla Inventor · 1856–1943
- Nikola IV Zrinski Politician · 1508–1566
- Nikola Pašić Politician · 1845–1926
- Nikola Zhekov Politician · 1865–1949
- Nikola Pilić Tennis player · b. 1939
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nikola mean?
A transliteration of the Bulgarian, Macedonian, or Serbo-Croatian male given name Никола (Nikola), equivalent to Nicholas
How popular is the name Nikola in 2025?
Nikola ranked #1,651 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 102 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Nikola?
4,102 babies have been named Nikola in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Nikola most popular?
Nikola peaked in 2020, when 159 newborns received the name.
Is Nikola a boy or girl name?
Nikola is used for both: about 16% of babies named Nikola have been girls and 84% boys.
Is the name Nikola rising or falling?
Nikola has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Nikola?
Well-known people named Nikola include Nikola Tesla (inventor), Nikola IV Zrinski (politician), Nikola Pašić (politician).