Nicholas
Pronounced N IH1 K AH0 L AH0 S (ARPABET)
- 2 syllables
- Peaked 1995
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 1 spelling
How popular is Nicholas?
Nicholas is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 1,027,207 children — the 32nd most common boys' name on record.
It is falling away, down 52% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1995, when 31,167 children were given it.
Nicolas is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Nicholas and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Nicolas
Nicknames
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- N IH1 K AH0 L AH0 S · N IH1 K L AH0 S
- Stress pattern:
- 100 · 10
- Syllables:
- 2
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Nicholas
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Nicholas
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Nicholas?
- Nicholas ranks 32nd among boys' names in US records, with 1,027,207 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 65,568.
- Is Nicholas a unisex name?
- No. Nicholas is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Nicholas most popular?
- 1995, when 31,167 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for Nicholas?
- Nick, Nicky, Nico. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is Nicholas spelled?
- Nicolas. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.