Nicholas is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nicholas means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nicholas across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nicholas has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nicholas is a boy name of Greek origin meaning “victory of the people”. the saint behind Santa Claus.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 929,199 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 15,896 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 4,362 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 289 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3,608 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 13,132 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Nicholas per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1995 (29,216/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (1,385/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (186/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1977 (99/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2000 (23/yr).
Nicholas has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1995, when it ranked #7 nationally (given to 29,336 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Nicholaus · Nicholus · Nichols · Nicholos · Nicholes · Nicholis · Nichlas · Nichalos
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