Boys' name · peaked in 2004
Nikolas name popularity since 1925
24,050 babies born in the US from 1925 to 2025 were named Nikolas. Half of them were born in 2004 or earlier, so the typical Nikolas is about 22 years old in 2026. Nikolas peaked in 2004 as the #301 name for boys, and it ranked #719 in 2025.
Key facts
- US babies since 1925
- 24,050
- Named Nikolas, 1925–2025
- In 2025
- #719
- for boys in 2025 (375 babies)
- Girls / boys
- 99.9% boys
- 15 girls · 24,035 boys
- Most popular in
- Arizona
- 2.18× its national share
Peak year is the year Nikolas made up the largest share of US boys, in records going back to 1880. Typical age is based on births from 1925 on, not on who is living today.
Nikolas births per year, 1925–2025
2004 was the biggest year for Nikolas both by count and as a share of all babies.
- Fastest rise: Between 1993 and 1998, Nikolas became 2.3× more common, from 1 in 4,280 baby boys to 1 in 1,900.
- Steepest fall: Between 2004 and 2009, its share of baby boys fell by 40%, from 1 in 1,870 to 1 in 3,130.
Shaded on the chart. Both compare Nikolas's share of all US boys five years apart, counting only years with at least 100 babies named Nikolas.
Decade by decade
Babies named Nikolas in each decade, and its rank among boys' names in the middle year of the decade (1935, 1945 … 2025).
| Decade | Girls | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925–29 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1930s | 0 | 6 | Under 5 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 | Under 5 |
| 1950s | 0 | 5 | Under 5 |
| 1960s | 0 | 107 | #2,576 |
| 1970s | 0 | 502 | #1,372 |
| 1980s | 5 | 1,955 | #645 |
| 1990s | 0 | 5,946 | #464 |
| 2000s | 10 | 7,812 | #336 |
| 2010s | 0 | 5,133 | #566 |
| 2020–25 | 0 | 2,564 | #719 |
Ranks count every name given to at least 5 boys that year, so they can go past 1,000. "Under 5" means fewer than 5 boys got the name.
Generation fingerprint
50.5% of babies named Nikolas from 1925 to 2025 were born in the Gen Z years (1997–2012). The full split by generation:
Where Nikolas is most popular
The index compares Nikolas's share of babies in each state with its share nationwide, 1925–2025 (1.50× = 50% more common). States with at least 300 babies named Nikolas.
| State | Index | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 2.18× | 615 |
| Florida | 1.97× | 1,551 |
| Washington | 1.82× | 661 |
| California | 1.70× | 3,909 |
| Colorado | 1.54× | 414 |
Other spellings
Spellings that sound like Nikolas and were given to at least 1,000 boys from 1925 to 2025, with the year each one was most popular.
| Spelling | Boys | Peak year |
|---|---|---|
| Nikolas (this page) | 24,035 | 2004 |
| Nicolas | 100,739 | 1998 |
Names with a similar story
Of the other 1999 names on this site, these six had the share of babies closest in shape to Nikolas's from 1925 to 2025, however common each one got. Each line is scaled to its own high; the dashed line is Nikolas.
Names from the same era
Other common names that peaked within two years of Nikolas (2004).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national and state baby-name data, which covers names given to at least 5 babies of one sex in a year. About the data