Niko
Boy name · #325 in 2025 · Uniqueness 45/100
Niko is currently the #325 boy name in the United States — 1,046 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #629, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,721 boys born in 2025 was named Niko.
The 63-year story
Niko first appears in the Social Security records in 1962, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 1,192 babies and a rank of #287. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Niko per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Niko against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Niko in class?
Niko scores 45 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Niko is most common
Geography matters for names, and Niko is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Nikos were CA (185), TX (88), NY (68), FL (63), PA (46). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Niko
Statistically, parents drawn to Niko tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nico, Otto, Nash, Cairo, and Romeo.
NicoOttoNashCairoRomeoKyloTadeoApollo
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Niko | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,046 | #325 |
| 2024 | 1,004 | #344 |
| 2023 | 1,037 | #320 |
| 2022 | 1,192 | #287 |
| 2021 | 1,173 | #290 |
| 2020 | 870 | #358 |
| 2019 | 743 | #415 |
| 2018 | 549 | #517 |
| 2017 | 507 | #549 |
| 2016 | 439 | #612 |
| 2015 | 425 | #629 |
| 2014 | 432 | #618 |
| 2013 | 433 | #586 |
| 2012 | 346 | #683 |
| 2011 | 303 | #747 |
| 2010 | 278 | #788 |
| 2009 | 273 | #812 |
| 2008 | 264 | #829 |
| 2007 | 217 | #912 |
| 2006 | 190 | #976 |
| 2005 | 162 | #1035 |
| 2004 | 175 | #957 |
| 2003 | 177 | #926 |
| 2002 | 158 | #994 |
| 2001 | 166 | #936 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Niko a popular boy name?
Niko ranked #325 among boys in 2025 with 1,046 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #629.
When was the name Niko most popular?
Niko peaked in 2022, when 1,192 American boys received the name (ranked #287 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Niko?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,721 newborn American boys was named Niko. It scores 45/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.