Nikolaos
Boy name · #2580 in 2025 · Very rare
Nikolaos ranks #2580 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 51 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2809, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 35,294 boys born in 2025 was named Nikolaos.
Babies named Nikolaos per year. Source: SSA.
The 63-year story
Nikolaos first appears in the Social Security records in 1962, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2014, when 58 boys were named Nikolaos — good for #2277 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 Nikolaos against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nikolaos in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nikolaos is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nikolaos will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nikolaos is most common
State-level data for Nikolaos 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 Nikolaos
Statistically, parents drawn to Nikolaos tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Alexandros, Georgios, Johannes, Nicodemus, and Nicolai.
AlexandrosGeorgiosJohannesNicodemusNicolaiZacariasNasserNaftali
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nikolaos | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #2572 |
| 2024 | 47 | #2750 |
| 2023 | 50 | #2614 |
| 2022 | 48 | #2717 |
| 2021 | 56 | #2410 |
| 2020 | 48 | #2617 |
| 2019 | 46 | #2736 |
| 2018 | 38 | #3055 |
| 2017 | 40 | #2951 |
| 2016 | 48 | #2587 |
| 2015 | 42 | #2809 |
| 2014 | 58 | #2277 |
| 2013 | 47 | #2562 |
| 2012 | 34 | #3231 |
| 2011 | 48 | #2547 |
| 2010 | 47 | #2579 |
| 2009 | 45 | #2702 |
| 2008 | 49 | #2542 |
| 2007 | 52 | #2442 |
| 2006 | 32 | #3306 |
| 2005 | 44 | #2528 |
| 2004 | 49 | #2316 |
| 2003 | 39 | #2579 |
| 2002 | 27 | #3259 |
| 2001 | 36 | #2618 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nikolaos a popular boy name?
Nikolaos ranked #2580 among boys in 2025 with 51 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2809.
When was the name Nikolaos most popular?
Nikolaos peaked in 2014, when 58 American boys received the name (ranked #2277 that year). Since 2014 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nikolaos?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 35,294 newborn American boys was named Nikolaos. 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.