Nicola
Boy name · #3858 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Nicola? In official American birth records, Nicola has been tracked continuously since 1908, giving it 117 years of documented American history.
Nicola ranks #3858 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 28 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3513, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 64,286 boys born in 2025 was named Nicola.
Babies named Nicola per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 117-year story
Nicola first appears in the Social Security records in 1908, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1972, when 53 boys were named Nicola — good for #1120 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Nicola against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nicola in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nicola is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nicola will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nicola is most common
State-level data for Nicola 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 Nicola
Statistically, parents drawn to Nicola tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Darek, Alfonzo, Pietro, Vidal, and Boris.
DarekAlfonzoPietroVidalBorisBrantDarvinTito
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nicola | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28 | #3848 |
| 2024 | 35 | #3335 |
| 2023 | 29 | #3802 |
| 2022 | 37 | #3216 |
| 2021 | 35 | #3297 |
| 2020 | 26 | #3918 |
| 2019 | 27 | #3899 |
| 2018 | 28 | #3793 |
| 2017 | 26 | #3993 |
| 2016 | 20 | #4776 |
| 2015 | 31 | #3513 |
| 2014 | 18 | #5066 |
| 2013 | 22 | #4313 |
| 2012 | 23 | #4251 |
| 2011 | 27 | #3792 |
| 2010 | 23 | #4241 |
| 2009 | 28 | #3721 |
| 2008 | 37 | #3103 |
| 2007 | 37 | #3090 |
| 2006 | 30 | #3451 |
| 2005 | 26 | #3615 |
| 2004 | 33 | #3014 |
| 2003 | 40 | #2545 |
| 2002 | 33 | #2817 |
| 2001 | 42 | #2346 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Nicola?
In official American birth records, the name Nicola first appeared in 1908 (over 117 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 117 years.
Is Nicola a popular boy name?
Nicola ranked #3858 among boys in 2025 with 28 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3513.
When was the name Nicola most popular?
Nicola peaked in 1972, when 53 American boys received the name (ranked #1120 that year). Since 1972 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nicola?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 64,286 newborn American boys was named Nicola. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.