Nicholas

#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #112 for boys in 2025, 3,115 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1999 · 25,639 births
Debut · boys
73 births
In top 100 · boys
51 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
926,047
since 1880

Nicholas over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201930peak #5, 1999boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#10,9178#1123,115
2024—#1173,038
2023—#1093,261
2022#13,5926#973,643
2021—#923,866
2020#15,0885#874,065
2019#11,3568#784,642
2018—#744,847
2017#14,1246#685,372
2016#14,3316#635,765
2015#13,0067#626,263
2014#8,96612#576,779
2013#8,58013#547,147
2012#12,1998#497,742
2011#7,78315#428,601
2010#9,79011#379,653
2009#7,06618#3210,856
2008#6,35021#2912,533
2007#8,52014#2014,362
2006#7,48216#1715,675
2005#5,26624#1517,076
2004#2,37072#1318,519
2003#3,29144#1219,696
2002#3,46139#921,390
2001#3,70335#622,849
2000#3,40439#624,653
1999#3,24539#525,639
1998#3,22238#626,632
1997#2,51151#627,258
1996#2,45152#627,724
1995#2,34556#729,160
1994#2,07966#927,770
1993#1,65391#828,114
1992#1,79880#1227,762
1991#1,76681#1227,357
1990#1,97469#1427,913
1989#1,288122#1428,230
1988#1,132135#1425,303
1987#983160#1623,247
1986#1,097135#1722,800
1985#957162#1922,384
1984#988146#2021,017
1983#1,037135#2119,891
1982#1,058136#2219,643
1981#1,114124#2119,775
1980#1,030139#1721,018
1979#1,012140#1521,344
1978#1,169108#2516,342
1977#2,51534#516,071
1976#3,40720#773,466
1975#2,96924#813,319
1974#3,21221#803,218
1973#3,78716#853,153
1972#3,71416#992,843
1971#3,06222#1232,608
1970#6,3627#1232,704
1969#5,4568#1232,577
1968#3,31516#1182,548
1967#3,84512#1302,288
1966#5,2737#1392,139
1965#5,2897#1492,068
1964—#1582,069
1963#4,27210#1552,130
1962—#1552,144
1961#4,8828#1582,078
1960—#1532,298
1959#5,5666#1562,196
1958#4,1939#1532,189
1957#4,9187#1522,197
1956#5,3256#1472,212
1955#4,3768#1412,186
1954#3,49011#1342,368
1953#5,6735#1312,359
1952—#1272,343
1951—#1202,388
1950—#1242,176
1949#5,2445#1361,998
1948#5,2435#1421,929
1947—#1431,935
1946—#1441,675
1945#4,0256#1511,357
1944—#1501,361
1943#4,1966#1481,434
1942—#1421,500
1941#3,9546#1461,212
1940—#1541,102
1939—#1561,032
1938#4,3425#161989
1937—#159935
1936—#157929
1935—#158911
1934—#165873
1933#3,4067#160888
1932#3,9016#163925
1931#3,2268#1451,103
1930#2,30614#1471,131
1929#2,43713#1421,192
1928#3,7437#1401,216
1927#2,69912#1371,272
1926#2,25716#1331,319
1925#4,0287#1331,332
1924#2,66113#1221,488
1923#4,9675#1201,468
1922#4,0117#1221,414
1921#4,4646#1141,553
1920#4,3986#1241,354
1919#3,8177#1221,321
1918—#1131,488
1917#4,0836#1091,412
1916#3,5527#1071,419
1915—#1041,427
1914—#1021,151
1913—#110796
1912—#113676
1911—#120308
1910—#137235
1909—#133204
1908—#113226
1907—#143161
1906—#143144
1905—#171112
1904—#177102
1903—#18490
1902—#156112
1901—#16888
1900—#19995
1899—#19669
1898—#17294
1897—#17787
1896—#156106
1895—#18784
1894—#19277
1893—#16289
1892—#16695
1891—#16478
1890—#17578
1889—#19168
1888—#15797
1887—#15779
1886—#16285
1885—#19566
1884—#19369
1883—#17471
1882—#19366
1881—#20356
1880—#17773
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Nicholas was already there! It came in at #177, and was given to 73 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1885, when fewer than 74 boys a year got the name.

Where Nicholas is popular in 1930

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #190 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,222 boysNDMinnesota: #206 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,831 boysMNIllinois: #131 for boys · 61 births · 1 in 949 boysILWisconsin: #224 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,452 boysWIMichigan: #193 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 1,696 boysMINew York: #50 for boys · 394 births · 1 in 242 boysNYMassachusetts: #63 for boys · 78 births · 1 in 403 boysMARhode Island: #72 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 403 boysRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedIAIndiana: #272 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,651 boysINOhio: #141 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 1,127 boysOHPennsylvania: #69 for boys · 177 births · 1 in 459 boysPANew Jersey: #50 for boys · 123 births · 1 in 237 boysNJConnecticut: #50 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 235 boysCTCalifornia: #273 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 2,537 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedNEMissouri: #268 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,817 boysMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: #326 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,429 boysWVVirginia: #394 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,438 boysVAMaryland: #133 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,108 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #213 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,264 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedALGeorgia: #454 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 5,626 boysGAHawaii: #105 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 555 boysHITexas: #494 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 4,536 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Nicholas, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Connecticut#50 · 1 in 235
  2. New Jersey#50 · 1 in 237
  3. New York#50 · 1 in 242
  4. Massachusetts#63 · 1 in 403
  5. Pennsylvania#69 · 1 in 459

Best ever in a state: #1 in Maine, 1992.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Connecticut#50491 in 235
New Jersey#501231 in 237
New York#503941 in 242
Massachusetts#63781 in 403
Pennsylvania#691771 in 459
Rhode Island#72121 in 403
Hawaii#10561 in 555
Illinois#131611 in 949
Maryland#133111 in 1,108
Ohio#141461 in 1,127
North Dakota#19051 in 1,222
Michigan#193251 in 1,696
Minnesota#206111 in 1,831
Louisiana#213151 in 1,264
Wisconsin#224101 in 2,452
Missouri#268101 in 2,817
Indiana#27271 in 3,651
California#273151 in 2,537
West Virginia#32651 in 3,429
Virginia#39451 in 4,438
Georgia#45451 in 5,626
Texas#494131 in 4,536
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Carolina———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Nicholas
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 5 spots since 2024 (#117 → #112)
  • 25 spots since 2020 (#87 → #112)
  • 50 spots since 2015 (#62 → #112)
  • Biggest jump: 33 spots in 1886 (#195 → #162)
  • Biggest drop: 34 spots in 1889 (#157 → #191)
Rise & fade · boys
119 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1999 at #5 (25,639 births)
  • Births halved by 2008, 9 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 10 for 10 yrs
  • Top 10: 10 yrs · run 1993–2002
  • Top 100: 51 yrs · run 1972–2022
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 65
  • Highest: 1 in 65 boys born in 1995 were named Nicholas (1.5%)
  • Latest: 1 in 548 boys born in 2025 (0.18%)
  • Its best rank, #5 in 1999, was only 1 in 75 (1.3%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1990s
  • 29.7% of all boys named Nicholas (275,329) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s730#157 (1888)#180
1890s857#156 (1896)#175
1900s1,334#113 (1908)#159
1910s10,233#102 (1914)#114
1920s13,608#114 (1921)#129
1930s9,716#145 (1931)#157
1940s15,503#136 (1949)#146
1950s22,614#120 (1951)#139
1960s22,339#118 (1968)#144
1970s65,068#15 (1979)#76
1980s223,308#14 (1989)#18
1990s275,329#5 (1999)#9
2000s177,609#6 (2000)#16
2010s66,811#37 (2010)#58
2020s20,988#87 (2020)#102

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Nicholas in 1930

girls
#2,306
14 births · 1 in 80,423 girls
boys
#147
1,131 births · 1 in 970 boys

Top girls' names in 1930

  1. #1Mary64,153
  2. #2Betty38,240
  3. #3Dorothy30,411
  4. #4Helen19,913
  5. #5Margaret18,350
  6. #6Barbara18,279
  7. #7Patricia15,751
  8. #8Joan15,478
  9. #9Doris15,464
  10. #10Ruth14,942
  11. #2,306Nicholas14

Top boys' names in 1930

  1. #1Robert62,153
  2. #2James53,957
  3. #3John52,447
  4. #4William47,271
  5. #5Richard32,187
  6. #6Charles31,867
  7. #7Donald29,052
  8. #8George22,788
  9. #9Joseph20,981
  10. #10Edward17,352
  11. #147Nicholas1,131
More about 1930

girls

1,125,927 girls got a published name in 1930; 1 in 80,423 of them was named Nicholas, which outranked 56.1% of the 5,247 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nicholas
  1. #2,202Yasuko15
  2. #2,202Zadie15
  3. #2,202Zina15
  4. #2,306Nicholas14
  5. #2,306Agripina14
  6. #2,306Aleene14
  7. #2,306Aloma14
  8. #2,425Alena13
  9. #2,425Alex13
  10. #2,425Alys13

Tied with 118 names at #2,306; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. ↑ 701Claudette#1,642 → #941
  2. ↑ 583Ardeth#1,212 → #629
  3. ↑ 445Julianne#1,339 → #894
  4. ↑ 376Sonja#1,223 → #847
  5. ↑ 374Armida#1,174 → #800
Fallers
  1. ↓ 348Ingrid#941 → #1,289
  2. ↓ 315Coralie#895 → #1,210
  3. ↓ 229Elenor#981 → #1,210
  4. ↓ 229Mammie#981 → #1,210
  5. ↓ 226Sibyl#902 → #1,128

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,097,378 boys got a published name in 1930; 1 in 970 of them was named Nicholas, which outranked 96.8% of the 4,542 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Nicholas
  1. #144Phillip1,175
  2. #145Dennis1,173
  3. #146Homer1,172
  4. #147Nicholas1,131
  5. #148Luther1,109
  6. #149Franklin1,078
  7. #150Sidney1,076
Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,094Derl#3,959 → #865
  2. ↑ 420Clive#1,378 → #958
  3. ↑ 380Farris#1,272 → #892
  4. ↑ 368Earlie#1,296 → #928
  5. ↑ 357Winton#1,272 → #915
Fallers
  1. ↓ 486Americo#729 → #1,215
  2. ↓ 433Enrico#995 → #1,428
  3. ↓ 371Eliseo#844 → #1,215
  4. ↓ 312Meyer#878 → #1,190
  5. ↓ 304Hilbert#869 → #1,173

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1930 →