Boy · #2,469 in 2026

Nicolai

Nicolai is a given name. Notable persons with that name include:Nicolai Belokosov, Moldovan judoka Nicolai Borger, German writer, actor and director Nicolai Gedda (1925–2017), Swedish operatic tenor Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer Nicolai Kielstrup, Danish singer Nicolai Lomov (1946–2020), Russian classical pianist Nicolai Tangen, Norwegian hedge fund manager

  • Danish
  • Norwegian
Current Rank
#2,469
Peak Rank
#1,870 (2015)
Total Babies
2K
5-Yr Trend
+9%
1962
First Year
2026
Last Year
2015
Peak Year
#1870
Peak Rank
2K
Total Count
55
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nicolai

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Nicolai is a given name. Notable persons with that name include:Nicolai Belokosov, Moldovan judoka Nicolai Borger, German writer, actor and director Nicolai Gedda (1925–2017), Swedish operatic tenor Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer Nicolai Kielstrup, Danish singer Nicolai Lomov (1946–2020), Russian classical pianist Nicolai Tangen, Norwegian hedge fund manager

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Danish
  • Norwegian

The Story of Nicolai

Nicolai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1962, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2015: 78 births, good for #1,870 nationwide. About 32% of every Nicolai on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nicolai ranks #2,469 for baby boys with 56 births, gradually rising (+9%). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to 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

Variants & Related Forms of Nicolai

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nicolai. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Nicolai

Phonetically similar names — useful when Nicolai 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 Nicolai

What does the name Nicolai mean?
Nicolai is a given name. Notable persons with that name include:Nicolai Belokosov, Moldovan judoka Nicolai Borger, German writer, actor and director Nicolai Gedda (1925–2017), Swedish operatic tenor Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer Nicolai Kielstrup, Danish singer Nicolai Lomov (1946–2020), Russian classical pianist Nicolai Tangen, Norwegian hedge fund manager
What is the origin of the name Nicolai?
Nicolai has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Danish, Norwegian.
How popular is Nicolai in 2026?
In 2026, Nicolai ranks #2,469 among boys' names in the U.S., with 56 babies given the name that year.
When was Nicolai most popular?
Nicolai reached its peak popularity in 2015, ranking #1,870 that year with 78 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Nicolai most popular?
Nicolai has historically been most popular in Virginia, Arizona, Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nicolai.
Is Nicolai a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nicolai is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Nicolai?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nicolai include Elba, Payson, Lowen. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Nicolai?
Common variants and related forms of Nicolai include Niels, Nikolaj, Nils. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Elba
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Lowen
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Devron
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About the name Nicolai

Nicolai is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Nicolai's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #1,870. Use the chart and map above to compare Nicolai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.