Nicholas
Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos. It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In turn, the name means "victory of the people."
- English
Meaning & Origin of Nicholas
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos. It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In turn, the name means "victory of the people."
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Nicholas
Nicholas first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 73 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1995: 29,161 births, good for #6 nationwide. About 30% of every Nicholas on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nicholas ranks #127 for baby boys with 2,817 births, falling sharply (-31%). All told, over 929K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Nicholas
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nicholas. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Nicholas
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Nicholas of Myra
- Nicholas of Trani
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Nicholas
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nicholas is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholas
What does the name Nicholas mean?
What is the origin of the name Nicholas?
How popular is Nicholas in 2026?
When was Nicholas most popular?
In which U.S. states is Nicholas most popular?
Is Nicholas a unisex name?
What names go well with Nicholas?
What are nicknames or variants of Nicholas?
About the name Nicholas
Nicholas is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 929K births in the dataset. Nicholas's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #5. Use the chart and map above to compare Nicholas's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.