Nikola
Boy name · #1652 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 102 baby boys were named Nikola, placing it at #1652 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1271, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,647 boys born in 2025 was named Nikola.
Babies named Nikola per year. Source: SSA.
The 65-year story
Nikola first appears in the Social Security records in 1960, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2020, when 151 boys were named Nikola — good for #1237 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nikola against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nikola in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nikola is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nikola will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nikola is most common
State-level data for Nikola is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Nikola
Statistically, parents drawn to Nikola tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kainoa, Simcha, Akiva, Naveen, and Zakaria.
KainoaSimchaAkivaNaveenZakariaYehoshuaNiallShalom
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nikola | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 102 | #1644 |
| 2024 | 108 | #1589 |
| 2023 | 126 | #1440 |
| 2022 | 125 | #1447 |
| 2021 | 147 | #1291 |
| 2020 | 151 | #1237 |
| 2019 | 134 | #1340 |
| 2018 | 148 | #1244 |
| 2017 | 132 | #1348 |
| 2016 | 132 | #1349 |
| 2015 | 141 | #1271 |
| 2014 | 120 | #1402 |
| 2013 | 110 | #1483 |
| 2012 | 102 | #1551 |
| 2011 | 97 | #1587 |
| 2010 | 81 | #1806 |
| 2009 | 81 | #1825 |
| 2008 | 88 | #1719 |
| 2007 | 65 | #2094 |
| 2006 | 71 | #1893 |
| 2005 | 61 | #2035 |
| 2004 | 73 | #1731 |
| 2003 | 54 | #2077 |
| 2002 | 59 | #1888 |
| 2001 | 76 | #1572 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nikola a popular boy name?
Nikola ranked #1652 among boys in 2025 with 102 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1271.
When was the name Nikola most popular?
Nikola peaked in 2020, when 151 American boys received the name (ranked #1237 that year). Since 2020 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nikola?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,647 newborn American boys was named Nikola. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.