boys' name ★ peaked 2004

Nikolas

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #719 Trend ↓ Falling 14%

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νικόλας (Nikólas), used in Greece.

Rank 2025
#719
among boys · ↑10 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
375
named Nikolas · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 4,555
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2004
1,065 babies
All-time total
24,050
#758 all-time among boys
First recorded
1937
in Social Security records

Nikolas popularity over time

24,050 babies have been named Nikolas since 1937, 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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – 6 6 1 – #3,411
1940s – 5 5 1 -17% #4,068
1950s – 5 5 1 0% #4,346
1960s – 107 107 11 +2040% #1,429
1970s – 502 502 50 +369% #757
1980s 5 1,955 1,960 196 +290% #513
1990s – 5,946 5,946 595 +203% #287
2000s 10 7,812 7,822 782 +32% #301
2010s – 5,133 5,133 513 -34% #455
2020s (to 2025) – 2,564 2,564 427 -17% #585

Where Nikolas 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 365 0.21 outside top 500
2027 356 0.21 outside top 500
2028 349 0.20 outside top 500
2029 343 0.20 outside top 500
2030 338 0.20 outside top 500

Where Nikolas is most popular

Boys named Nikolas per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.244 per 1,000. Strongest in California, Arizona, and Texas.

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 Nikolas 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
California 374 0.409 +67%
Arizona 64 0.391 +60%
Texas 313 0.355 +45%
Massachusetts 48 0.349 +43%
New Jersey 70 0.348 +42%
Illinois 88 0.344 +41%
Florida 160 0.338 +38%
New York 130 0.300 +23%
Virginia 53 0.279 +14%
Colorado 34 0.263 +8%
Indiana 40 0.249 ≈ national
Pennsylvania 65 0.245 ≈ national
Michigan 50 0.244 ≈ national
Maryland 27 0.226 -7%
Washington 37 0.226 -7%
North Carolina 57 0.223 -9%
Georgia 54 0.213 -13%
Nevada 12 0.210 -14%
Connecticut 14 0.207 -15%
Utah 18 0.189 -23%
Wisconsin 22 0.186 -24%
Missouri 25 0.180 -26%
Ohio 45 0.170 -31%
Oklahoma 14 0.158 -35%
New Mexico 5 0.152 -38%
Oregon 10 0.132 -46%
Louisiana 11 0.108 -56%
Kansas 6 0.087 -64%
Kentucky 7 0.070 -71%
Tennessee 11 0.061 -75%
South Carolina 5 0.048 -80%
Alabama 5 0.046 -81%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
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 Nikolas

Nikolas is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #719 in 2025 with 375 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1937, 24,050 American babies have been named Nikolas. Its peak came in 2004, when 1,065 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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

How old are people named Nikolas?

The median living Nikolas is about 21 years old; half are between 12 and 28. An estimated 24 thousand people named Nikolas are alive in the United States today.

median 21 020406080100

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

Nikolas 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 – – 375 #719
2024 – – 362 #729
2023 – – 422 #650
2022 – – 475 #595
2021 – – 477 #585
2020 – – 453 #604
2019 – – 454 #603
2018 – – 502 #553
2017 – – 463 #589
2016 – – 499 #566
2015 – – 497 #566
2014 – – 495 #557
2013 – – 520 #514
2012 – – 550 #487
2011 – – 562 #475
2010 – – 591 #455
2009 – – 633 #443
2008 – – 674 #430
2007 – – 741 #398
2006 – – 780 #383
2005 5 #18,420 898 #336
2004 5 #18,051 1,060 #301
2003 – – 795 #352
2002 – – 745 #358
2001 – – 747 #355
2000 – – 739 #358
1995 – – 487 #464
1990 – – 439 #474
1985 – – 185 #645
1980 – – 127 #777
1975 – – 41 #1,372
1970 – – 18 #2,190
1965 – – 11 #2,576
1960 – – 6 #3,941
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nikolas?

The median living Nikolas is about 21 years old. Half of all living Nikolass are between 12 and 28 years old.

How many people named Nikolas are alive today?

An estimated 24 thousand people named Nikolas are alive in the United States, based on 24,050 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nikolas mean?

A transliteration of the Greek male given name Νικόλας (Nikólas), used in Greece.

How popular is the name Nikolas in 2025?

Nikolas ranked #719 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 375 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nikolas?

24,050 babies have been named Nikolas in the United States since 1937, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nikolas most popular?

Nikolas peaked in 2004, when 1,065 newborns received the name.

Is Nikolas a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Nikolas rising or falling?

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

Will Nikolas become more popular?

Nikolas is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 338 boys named Nikolas in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nikolas

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

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