Meaning not yet researched.
Nicholas: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 3,115 in 2025. Its best rank was #5 in 1999.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #5 in 1999; #112 in 2025. About 99.7% of babies named Nicholas in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#112 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1999, at #5.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Nicholas: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 3,115 boys in 2025. Peak: #5 in 1999 · most boys in one year: 29,160 (1995).
In 2025, 3,115 US boys were named Nicholas, making it the 112th most common boys’ name of the year, up 5 places from #117 in 2024. That is 77 more than the 3,038 boys named Nicholas in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #5, reached in 1999. The most boys given the name in a single year was 29,160, in 1995. For comparison, it was #62 in 2015 and #124 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Nicholas in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 73 babies with the name. In all, 929,199 US babies have been given the name, 0.3% of them girls and 99.6% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1990s, with 275,952 babies named Nicholas.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 41,614 US boys were named Nicholas; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 5,765. In 2025 that was about 1 in 548 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Nicholas ranked highest in New Jersey in 2025, at #40 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 10 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Nicolas (101,764 babies since 1880), Nikolas (24,050 babies since 1880), Nico (22,322 babies since 1880) and Nikola (4,102 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Nils, Niels and Nicholes are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Claas, Claes, Nic, Nick, Nickie and Nicky.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in Dutch, English and French. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Nils (3,083), Niels (1,462), Nicholes (879), Nicholos (768), Nicholus (755), Nicholis (742), Nikolay (507), Nichalos (485), Nicolaas (404), Nichalas (280), Nycholas (201), Nicolae (174), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so 6 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 192 | #40 | #22 |
| New York | 310 | #52 | #24 |
| Connecticut | 57 | #60 | #42 |
| Rhode Island | 16 | #65 | #72 |
| Pennsylvania | 166 | #70 | #44 |
| Delaware | 14 | #75 | #89 |
| Illinois | 132 | #89 | #51 |
| California | 425 | #93 | #52 |
| Massachusetts | 71 | #98 | #34 |
| Florida | 227 | #99 | #45 |
| Virginia | 77 | #110 | #59 |
| Maryland | 49 | #120 | #51 |
| Texas | 318 | #123 | #79 |
| Nevada | 24 | #133 | #58 |
| Idaho | 20 | #139 | #214 |
| New Hampshire | 11 | #140 | #40 |
| New Mexico | 14 | #143 | #86 |
| South Carolina | 39 | #148 | #87 |
| Ohio | 93 | #148 | #76 |
| Mississippi | 22 | #149 | #124 |
| Georgia | 82 | #150 | #100 |
| Arizona | 60 | #150 | #80 |
| Michigan | 65 | #157 | #78 |
| Colorado | 46 | #157 | #101 |
| Alabama | 36 | #161 | #85 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | #161 | #102 |
| North Carolina | 79 | #162 | #84 |
| Maine | 8 | #165 | #115 |
| Oklahoma | 28 | #177 | #128 |
| Kentucky | 32 | #178 | #117 |
| Indiana | 47 | #183 | #111 |
| Utah | 30 | #183 | #101 |
| Oregon | 23 | #186 | #110 |
| Washington | 44 | #198 | #115 |
| Hawaii | 6 | #203 | #152 |
| Nebraska | 13 | #205 | #137 |
| South Dakota | 7 | #212 | #176 |
| Tennessee | 41 | #220 | #107 |
| Missouri | 32 | #226 | #80 |
| Louisiana | 23 | #228 | #97 |
| Minnesota | 26 | #241 | #115 |
| Arkansas | 15 | #244 | #138 |
| West Virginia | 8 | #245 | #125 |
| Iowa | 14 | #287 | #177 |
| Kansas | 13 | #289 | #134 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #11,640 | 3,115 | #112 |
| 2024 | — | — | 3,038 | #117 |
| 2023 | — | — | 3,261 | #109 |
| 2022 | 6 | #14,816 | 3,643 | #97 |
| 2021 | — | — | 3,866 | #92 |
| 2020 | 5 | #16,841 | 4,065 | #87 |
| 2019 | 8 | #12,127 | 4,642 | #78 |
| 2018 | — | — | 4,847 | #74 |
| 2017 | 6 | #15,416 | 5,372 | #68 |
| 2016 | 6 | #15,703 | 5,765 | #63 |
| 2015 | 7 | #14,088 | 6,263 | #62 |
| 2014 | 12 | #9,394 | 6,779 | #57 |
| 2013 | 13 | #8,926 | 7,147 | #54 |
| 2012 | 8 | #13,117 | 7,742 | #49 |
| 2011 | 15 | #8,095 | 8,601 | #42 |
| 2010 | 11 | #10,275 | 9,653 | #37 |
| 2009 | 18 | #7,270 | 10,856 | #32 |
| 2008 | 21 | #6,506 | 12,533 | #29 |
| 2007 | 14 | #8,876 | 14,362 | #20 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,758 | 15,675 | #17 |
| 2005 | 24 | #5,392 | 17,076 | #15 |
| 2004 | 72 | #2,387 | 18,519 | #13 |
| 2003 | 44 | #3,331 | 19,696 | #12 |
| 2002 | 39 | #3,511 | 21,390 | #9 |
| 2001 | 35 | #3,763 | 22,849 | #6 |
| 2000 | 39 | #3,443 | 24,653 | #6 |
| 1999 | 39 | #3,294 | 25,639 | #5 |
| 1998 | 38 | #3,277 | 26,632 | #6 |
| 1997 | 51 | #2,544 | 27,258 | #6 |
| 1996 | 52 | #2,471 | 27,724 | #6 |
| 1995 | 56 | #2,362 | 29,160 | #7 |
| 1994 | 66 | #2,095 | 27,770 | #9 |
| 1993 | 91 | #1,662 | 28,114 | #8 |
| 1992 | 80 | #1,814 | 27,762 | #12 |
| 1991 | 81 | #1,775 | 27,357 | #12 |
| 1990 | 69 | #1,984 | 27,913 | #14 |
| 1989 | 122 | #1,299 | 28,230 | #14 |
| 1988 | 135 | #1,136 | 25,303 | #14 |
| 1987 | 160 | #985 | 23,247 | #16 |
| 1986 | 135 | #1,103 | 22,800 | #17 |
| 1985 | 162 | #960 | 22,384 | #19 |
| 1984 | 146 | #992 | 21,017 | #20 |
| 1983 | 135 | #1,039 | 19,891 | #21 |
| 1982 | 136 | #1,061 | 19,643 | #22 |
| 1981 | 124 | #1,120 | 19,775 | #21 |
| 1980 | 139 | #1,033 | 21,018 | #17 |
| 1979 | 140 | #1,013 | 21,344 | #15 |
| 1978 | 108 | #1,171 | 16,342 | #25 |
| 1977 | 34 | #2,540 | 6,071 | #51 |
| 1976 | 20 | #3,492 | 3,466 | #77 |
| 1975 | 24 | #3,024 | 3,319 | #81 |
| 1974 | 21 | #3,281 | 3,218 | #80 |
| 1973 | 16 | #3,906 | 3,153 | #85 |
| 1972 | 16 | #3,833 | 2,843 | #99 |
| 1971 | 22 | #3,121 | 2,608 | #123 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,833 | 2,704 | #123 |
| 1969 | 8 | #5,820 | 2,577 | #123 |
| 1968 | 16 | #3,408 | 2,548 | #118 |
| 1967 | 12 | #3,989 | 2,288 | #130 |
| 1966 | 7 | #5,648 | 2,139 | #139 |
| 1965 | 7 | #5,650 | 2,068 | #150 |
| 1964 | — | — | 2,069 | #158 |
| 1963 | 10 | #4,457 | 2,130 | #155 |
| 1962 | — | — | 2,144 | #155 |
| 1961 | 8 | #5,170 | 2,078 | #158 |
| 1960 | — | — | 2,298 | #153 |
| 1959 | 6 | #6,035 | 2,196 | #156 |
| 1958 | 9 | #4,415 | 2,189 | #153 |
| 1957 | 7 | #5,237 | 2,197 | #152 |
| 1956 | 6 | #5,763 | 2,212 | #147 |
| 1955 | 8 | #4,632 | 2,186 | #141 |
| 1954 | 11 | #3,648 | 2,368 | #134 |
| 1953 | 5 | #6,288 | 2,359 | #131 |
| 1952 | — | — | 2,343 | #127 |
| 1951 | — | — | 2,388 | #120 |
| 1950 | — | — | 2,176 | #124 |
| 1949 | 5 | #5,810 | 1,998 | #136 |
| 1948 | 5 | #5,797 | 1,929 | #142 |
| 1947 | — | — | 1,935 | #143 |
| 1946 | — | — | 1,675 | #144 |
| 1945 | 6 | #4,397 | 1,357 | #151 |
| 1944 | — | — | 1,361 | #150 |
| 1943 | 6 | #4,553 | 1,434 | #148 |
| 1942 | — | — | 1,500 | #142 |
| 1941 | 6 | #4,295 | 1,212 | #146 |
| 1940 | — | — | 1,102 | #154 |
| 1939 | — | — | 1,032 | #156 |
| 1938 | 5 | #4,811 | 989 | #161 |
| 1937 | — | — | 935 | #159 |
| 1936 | — | — | 929 | #157 |
| 1935 | — | — | 911 | #158 |
| 1934 | — | — | 873 | #165 |
| 1933 | 7 | #3,659 | 888 | #160 |
| 1932 | 6 | #4,286 | 925 | #163 |
| 1931 | 8 | #3,414 | 1,103 | #145 |
| 1930 | 14 | #2,390 | 1,131 | #147 |
| 1929 | 13 | #2,540 | 1,192 | #142 |
| 1928 | 7 | #4,069 | 1,216 | #140 |
| 1927 | 12 | #2,814 | 1,272 | #137 |
| 1926 | 16 | #2,325 | 1,319 | #133 |
| 1925 | 7 | #4,320 | 1,332 | #133 |
| 1924 | 13 | #2,774 | 1,488 | #122 |
| 1923 | 5 | #5,498 | 1,468 | #120 |
| 1922 | 7 | #4,324 | 1,414 | #122 |
| 1921 | 6 | #4,932 | 1,553 | #114 |
| 1920 | 6 | #4,816 | 1,354 | #124 |
| 1919 | 7 | #4,140 | 1,321 | #122 |
| 1918 | — | — | 1,488 | #113 |
| 1917 | 6 | #4,457 | 1,412 | #109 |
| 1916 | 7 | #3,821 | 1,419 | #107 |
| 1915 | — | — | 1,427 | #104 |
| 1914 | — | — | 1,151 | #102 |
| 1913 | — | — | 796 | #110 |
| 1912 | — | — | 676 | #113 |
| 1911 | — | — | 308 | #120 |
| 1910 | — | — | 235 | #137 |
| 1909 | — | — | 204 | #133 |
| 1908 | — | — | 226 | #113 |
| 1907 | — | — | 161 | #143 |
| 1906 | — | — | 144 | #143 |
| 1905 | — | — | 112 | #173 |
| 1904 | — | — | 102 | #180 |
| 1903 | — | — | 90 | #184 |
| 1902 | — | — | 112 | #159 |
| 1901 | — | — | 88 | #169 |
| 1900 | — | — | 95 | #200 |
| 1899 | — | — | 69 | #196 |
| 1898 | — | — | 94 | #172 |
| 1897 | — | — | 87 | #178 |
| 1896 | — | — | 106 | #157 |
| 1895 | — | — | 84 | #187 |
| 1894 | — | — | 77 | #193 |
| 1893 | — | — | 89 | #163 |
| 1892 | — | — | 95 | #168 |
| 1891 | — | — | 78 | #165 |
| 1890 | — | — | 78 | #175 |
| 1889 | — | — | 68 | #194 |
| 1888 | — | — | 97 | #157 |
| 1887 | — | — | 79 | #158 |
| 1886 | — | — | 85 | #165 |
| 1885 | — | — | 66 | #196 |
| 1884 | — | — | 69 | #194 |
| 1883 | — | — | 71 | #175 |
| 1882 | — | — | 66 | #196 |
| 1881 | — | — | 56 | #204 |
| 1880 | — | — | 73 | #178 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).