Nicole
Nicole is a feminine given name and a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Nicole
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nicole is a feminine given name and a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nicole
Nicole first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1937, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 22,967 Nicoles were born — ranking #7 that year. As of 2026, Nicole ranks #343 for baby girls with 899 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 596K Nicoles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nicole
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nicole 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 Nicole
What does the name Nicole mean?
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In which U.S. states is Nicole most popular?
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About the name Nicole
Nicole is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1937 and has accumulated 596K births in the dataset. Nicole's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #6. Use the chart and map above to compare Nicole's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all girl 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.