ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1979 First Year 2018 Last Year 1994 Peak Year #5109 Peak Rank 97 Total Count 14 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Nicholson What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Nicholson is a Germanic and Scottish surname. It is a patronymic form of the given name Nichol, which was a common medieval form of Nicholas. Notable people with the surname include:Aideen Nicholson (1927–2019), Irish-born Canadian politician A. J. Nicholson, American football linebacker Alexander Malcolm Nicholson (1900–1991), Canadian clergyman, farmer, and politician Alfred O. P. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholson%5F%28surname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholson%5F%28surname%29) 📖 ## The Story of Nicholson Nicholson first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1979, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1994, when 11 Nicholsons were born — ranking #5,109 that year. As of 2026, Nicholson ranks #12,153 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 97 Nicholsons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Nicholson Phonetically similar names — useful when Nicholson is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Nickelson * Nicolson * Mickelson * Mikkelsen * Nicolaisen * Michaelson * Michelson * Michelsen * [Nixon](/nixon) * Nickerson * [Nilson](/nilson) * [Nickson](/nickson) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Nicholson What does the name Nicholson mean? Nicholson is a Germanic and Scottish surname. It is a patronymic form of the given name Nichol, which was a common medieval form of Nicholas. Notable people with the surname include:Aideen Nicholson (1927–2019), Irish-born Canadian politician A. J. Nicholson, American football linebacker Alexander Malcolm Nicholson (1900–1991), Canadian clergyman, farmer, and politician Alfred O. P. How popular is Nicholson in 2026? In 2026, Nicholson ranks #12,153 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year. When was Nicholson most popular? Nicholson reached its peak popularity in 1994, ranking #5,109 that year with 11 babies given the name. Is Nicholson a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Nicholson is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name. What names go well with Nicholson? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nicholson include Colan, Jonell, Dezman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names [👦ColanPeak #5109](/colan)[👦JonellPeak #5109](/jonell)[👦DezmanPeak #5109](/dezman)[👦KouaPeak #5109](/koua)[👦DontarioPeak #5109](/dontario)[👦WaqasPeak #5109](/waqas)[👦TatsuyaPeak #5109](/tatsuya)[👦JaquannPeak #5109](/jaquann) ## About the name Nicholson Nicholson is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1979 and has accumulated 97 births in the dataset. Nicholson's peak popularity came in 1994 when it ranked #5,109\. Use the chart and map above to compare Nicholson's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1994 → ](/year/1994) * [ Names of the 1990s → ](/decade/1990s) * [ Names starting with "N" → ](/letter/n) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.