gender neutral
Nicholas
victory of the people
About Nicholas
This distinguished name carries an air of quiet confidence and timeless appeal. Nicholas works beautifully across all stages of life, from the playground to the boardroom. The built-in nickname options—Nick, Nico, Cole—offer versatility while maintaining sophistication. Parents who choose Nicholas often appreciate its classic status without feeling dated or overly traditional. It pairs well with both simple and elaborate middle names, and its multicultural recognition makes it accessible worldwide. The name has graced saints, scholars, and leaders throughout history, yet never feels weighed down by expectation. Nicholas strikes that rare balance between being familiar enough to spell and pronounce easily, while remaining substantial enough to stand alone with dignity. It's neither trendy nor forgotten, occupying that sweet spot of enduring popularity that won't date a child to a particular era.
Popularity of the Name Nicholas
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #178 | ||||
| 1881 | #204 | ||||
| 1882 | #196 | ||||
| 1883 | #175 | ||||
| 1884 | #194 | ||||
| 1885 | #196 | ||||
| 1886 | #165 | ||||
| 1887 | #158 | ||||
| 1888 | #157 | ||||
| 1889 | #194 | ||||
| 1890 | #175 | ||||
| 1891 | #165 | ||||
| 1892 | #168 | ||||
| 1893 | #163 | ||||
| 1894 | #193 | ||||
| 1895 | #187 | ||||
| 1896 | #157 | ||||
| 1897 | #178 | ||||
| 1898 | #172 | ||||
| 1899 | #196 | ||||
| 1900 | #200 | ||||
| 1901 | #169 | ||||
| 1902 | #159 | ||||
| 1903 | #184 | ||||
| 1904 | #180 | ||||
| 1905 | #173 | ||||
| 1906 | #143 | ||||
| 1907 | #143 | ||||
| 1908 | #113 | ||||
| 1909 | #133 | ||||
| 1910 | #137 | ||||
| 1911 | #120 | ||||
| 1912 | #113 | ||||
| 1913 | #110 | ||||
| 1914 | #102 | ||||
| 1915 | #104 | ||||
| 1916 | #107 | ||||
| 1917 | #109 | ||||
| 1918 | #113 | ||||
| 1919 | #122 | ||||
| 1920 | #124 | ||||
| 1921 | #114 | ||||
| 1922 | #122 | ||||
| 1923 | #120 | ||||
| 1924 | #122 | ||||
| 1925 | #133 | ||||
| 1926 | #133 | ||||
| 1927 | #137 | ||||
| 1928 | #140 | ||||
| 1929 | #142 | ||||
| 1930 | #147 | ||||
| 1931 | #145 | ||||
| 1932 | #163 | ||||
| 1933 | #160 | ||||
| 1934 | #165 | ||||
| 1935 | #158 | ||||
| 1936 | #157 | ||||
| 1937 | #159 | ||||
| 1938 | #161 | ||||
| 1939 | #156 | ||||
| 1940 | #154 | #152 | |||
| 1941 | #146 | ||||
| 1942 | #142 | #161 | |||
| 1943 | #148 | #166 | |||
| 1944 | #150 | #175 | |||
| 1945 | #151 | #161 | |||
| 1946 | #144 | #128 | |||
| 1947 | #143 | #117 | |||
| 1948 | #142 | #131 | |||
| 1949 | #136 | #134 | |||
| 1950 | #124 | #134 | |||
| 1951 | #120 | #130 | |||
| 1952 | #127 | #127 | |||
| 1953 | #131 | #106 | |||
| 1954 | #134 | #97 | |||
| 1955 | #141 | #84 | |||
| 1956 | #147 | #87 | |||
| 1957 | #152 | #77 | |||
| 1958 | #153 | #74 | |||
| 1959 | #156 | #69 | |||
| 1960 | #153 | #79 | |||
| 1961 | #158 | #73 | |||
| 1962 | #155 | #65 | |||
| 1963 | #155 | #65 | |||
| 1964 | #158 | #69 | #58 | ||
| 1965 | #150 | #66 | #66 | ||
| 1966 | #139 | #64 | #63 | ||
| 1967 | #130 | #58 | #77 | ||
| 1968 | #118 | #41 | #67 | ||
| 1969 | #123 | #38 | #76 | ||
| 1970 | #123 | #27 | #82 | ||
| 1971 | #123 | #27 | #85 | ||
| 1972 | #99 | #23 | #79 | ||
| 1973 | #85 | #21 | #89 | ||
| 1974 | #80 | #22 | #87 | ||
| 1975 | #81 | #16 | #84 | ||
| 1976 | #77 | #19 | #88 | ||
| 1977 | #51 | #18 | #77 | ||
| 1978 | #25 | #19 | #89 | ||
| 1979 | #15 | #12 | #81 | ||
| 1980 | #17 | #11 | #83 | ||
| 1981 | #21 | #9 | #80 | ||
| 1982 | #22 | #9 | #86 | ||
| 1983 | #21 | #8 | #78 | ||
| 1984 | #20 | #8 | #79 | ||
| 1985 | #19 | #10 | #82 | ||
| 1986 | #17 | #10 | #93 | ||
| 1987 | #16 | #11 | #93 | ||
| 1988 | #14 | #12 | #77 | ||
| 1989 | #14 | #12 | #77 | ||
| 1990 | #14 | #11 | #82 | ||
| 1991 | #12 | #11 | #95 | #20 | |
| 1992 | #12 | #12 | #125 | #18 | |
| 1993 | #8 | #12 | #101 | #16 | |
| 1994 | #9 | #10 | #104 | #10 | |
| 1995 | #7 | #12 | #131 | #4 | |
| 1996 | #6 | #16 | #128 | #5 | |
| 1997 | #6 | #59 | #19 | #112 | #3 |
| 1998 | #6 | #64 | #21 | #120 | #3 |
| 1999 | #5 | #64 | #23 | #116 | #3 |
| 2000 | #6 | #69 | #24 | #136 | #6 |
| 2001 | #6 | #88 | #29 | #147 | #6 |
| 2002 | #9 | #88 | #31 | #127 | #7 |
| 2003 | #12 | #94 | #30 | #150 | #10 |
| 2004 | #13 | #106 | #39 | #141 | #11 |
| 2005 | #15 | #110 | #54 | #139 | #14 |
| 2006 | #17 | #112 | #48 | #147 | #21 |
| 2007 | #20 | #122 | #61 | #143 | #22 |
| 2008 | #29 | #122 | #69 | #145 | #29 |
| 2009 | #32 | #135 | #72 | #194 | #36 |
| 2010 | #37 | #138 | #76 | #158 | #37 |
| 2011 | #42 | #157 | #92 | #151 | #44 |
| 2012 | #49 | #150 | #115 | #151 | #44 |
| 2013 | #54 | #145 | #148 | #137 | #53 |
| 2014 | #57 | #146 | #151 | #141 | #55 |
| 2015 | #62 | #144 | #167 | #126 | #67 |
| 2016 | #63 | #162 | #150 | #127 | #66 |
| 2017 | #68 | #152 | #167 | #177 | #76 |
| 2018 | #74 | #164 | #202 | #151 | #83 |
| 2019 | #78 | #148 | #243 | #135 | #90 |
| 2020 | #87 | #181 | #299 | #179 | #93 |
| 2021 | #92 | #172 | #341 | #230 | #102 |
| 2022 | #97 | #187 | #262 | #155 | #141 |
| 2023 | #109 | #201 | #315 | #167 | #124 |
| 2024 | #117 | #213 | #237 | #164 | #141 |
| 2025 | #112 | #218 | #416 | #204 | #133 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Nicholas
Names Similar to Nicholas
Nicknames for Nicholas
- Nick
- Nic
- Nicky
- Cole
- Nico
Famous People Named Nicholas
| Nicholas Cage | American actor |
| Nicholas Sparks | American novelist |
| Nicholas Hoult | English actor |
| Nicholas II | The last Emperor of Russia |
| Nicholas Hammond | American actor |
| Nicholas Brendon | American actor |
| Nicholas Colasanto | American actor |
| Nicholas Gonzalez | American actor |
| Nicholas Tse | Hong Kong actor |
| Nicholas D'Agosto | American actor |
| Nicholas Braun | American actor |
| Nicholas Galitzine | British actor |
| Nicholas Farrell | English actor |
| Nicholas Lyndhurst | English actor |
| Nicholas McCarthy | English musician |
| Nicholas Pinnock | British actor |
| Nicholas Roerich | Russian painter |
| Nicholas Lash | British theologian |
Characters Named Nicholas
| Nicholas Angel | "Hot Fuzz" |
| Nicholas Nickleby | "Nicholas Nickleby" by Charles Dickens |
| Nicholas "Nick" Carraway | "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| Nicholas Flamel | "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling |
| Nicholas "Nick" Fury | Marvel Comics character |
| Nicholas Rush | "Stargate Universe" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Burkhardt | "Grimm" TV series |
| Nicholas Brody | "Homeland" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Miller | "New Girl" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Andros | "The Stand" by Stephen King |
| Nicholas Angelotti | "The Elixir of Love" opera by Gaetano Donizetti |
| Nicholas "Nick" Stokes | "CSI - Crime Scene Investigation" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Morton | "The Mummy" - 2017 film |
| Nicholas "Nick" Parker | "The Parent Trap" - 1998 film |
| Nicholas "Nick" Cutler | "Being Human" TV series |
| Nicholas Scratch | "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Ryder | "Riptide" TV series |
| Nicholas Blair | "Dark Shadows" TV series |
| Nicholas "Nick" Jakoby | "Bright" - 2017 film |
| Nicholas "Nick" Brody | "Sanctuary" TV series |