Niko
Boy name · #325 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Niko? In official American birth records, Niko has been tracked continuously since 1962, giving it 63 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Niko against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Niko in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Niko is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". 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. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Niko is most common in NM (2.2 per 1,000), CT (1.3 per 1,000), OR (1.3 per 1,000), NV (1.2 per 1,000), CA (1.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Niko is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
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
How old is the name Niko?
In official American birth records, the name Niko first appeared in 1962 (over 63 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 63 years.
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.