Nicolas
French form of Nicholas, from Greek Nikolaos, which combines nike, meaning victory, with laos, meaning people.
Nicolas in 2025
Nicolas was given to 2,053 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 333rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,615 babies born.
The history of Nicolas
Nicolas reached its highest point in 2003, when 3,012 babies were given the name, ranking 247th that year.
Across the 144 years of records since 1882, 101,764 babies have been named Nicolas. Half of them were born before 2003, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Nicolas by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nicolas | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 26 | 1,412 |
| 1890s | 19 | 2,092 |
| 1900s | 51 | 1,972 |
| 1910s | 367 | 1,621 |
| 1920s | 749 | 1,393 |
| 1930s | 572 | 1,467 |
| 1940s | 694 | 1,566 |
| 1950s | 1,041 | 1,480 |
| 1960s | 1,388 | 1,303 |
| 1970s | 3,877 | 514 |
| 1980s | 10,345 | 378 |
| 1990s | 21,262 | 248 |
| 2000s | 28,309 | 247 |
| 2010s | 21,221 | 299 |
| 2020s | 11,843 | 333 |
Where Nicolas is heading
Nicolas has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 1,998 babies in 2015 to 2,053 in 2025.
Names like Nicolas
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nicolas.