Nicolas
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to masculine given names cognate to English Nicholas. The given name Nicolas is widely used in Brazil and France. The variant Nicolás is widely used in Spanish-speaking countries. The variant Niccolò, is a popular male name in Italy, although Nicolas is also sometimes used, especially amongst Italian Americans and Latin Americans of Italian descent.
Meaning & Origin of Nicolas
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to masculine given names cognate to English Nicholas. The given name Nicolas is widely used in Brazil and France. The variant Nicolás is widely used in Spanish-speaking countries. The variant Niccolò, is a popular male name in Italy, although Nicolas is also sometimes used, especially amongst Italian Americans and Latin Americans of Italian descent.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nicolas
Nicolas first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 3,003 Nicolass were born — ranking #134 that year. As of 2026, Nicolas ranks #181 for baby boys with 1,985 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 103K Nicolass have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nicolas
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nicolas 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 Nicolas
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About the name Nicolas
Nicolas is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 103K births in the dataset. Nicolas's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #132. Use the chart and map above to compare Nicolas's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.