How Many People Are Named Nicholas?
An estimated 851,882 people in the United States have the first name Nicholas, ranking it #34 among all first names. It is almost exclusively a male name. The average bearer is 33 years old, and Nicholas peaked in popularity in 1995 with 29,217 births that year. It has a similar number of bearers to Kenneth (836,956).
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Nicholas as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Nicholas paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Nicholas is overwhelmingly male, 3,139 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
Estimated Living Americans
851,882
About 1 in 402 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.7% confidence
Average Age
33
years old
Peak Year
1995
29,217 births
Total Registered
926,036
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Nicholas
Nicholas is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 926,036 total births registered, 99.7% were male.
Nicholas as a male name
Ranked #118 in 2024
3,025 male births in 2024
Peak: 1995 (29,161 births)
Nicholas as a female name
Ranked #14,806 in 2022
6 female births in 2022
Peak: 1985 (162 births)
Nicholas in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 711,305 people with the first name Nicholas, which placed it at #49 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Nicholas was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 711,305 people with this name in that snapshot, 99.9% were male and 0.1% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 99.7% of the time.
Census Count
711,305
people with this name
Census Rank
#49
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
235.51
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Nicholas was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.48%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (11.46%) and Black (4.74%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Nicholas in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Nicholas.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 77.48% | 551,142 |
| Hispanic | 11.46% | 81,481 |
| Black | 4.74% | 33,733 |
| Two or More Races | 3.90% | 27,729 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.97% | 14,012 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.45% | 3,213 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Nicholas: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Nicholas span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 275,949 babies were registered. Nicholas has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Nicholas by Decade
How has Nicholas tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 730 | 730 | 0 | |
| 1890s | 857 | 857 | 0 | |
| 1900s | 1,334 | 1,334 | 0 | |
| 1910s | 10,253 | 10,233 | 20 | |
| 1920s | 13,700 | 13,608 | 92 | |
| 1930s | 9,756 | 9,716 | 40 | |
| 1940s | 15,531 | 15,503 | 28 | |
| 1950s | 22,666 | 22,614 | 52 | |
| 1960s | 22,411 | 22,343 | 68 | |
| 1970s | 65,477 | 65,069 | 408 | |
| 1980s | 224,714 | 223,320 | 1,394 | |
| 1990s | 275,949 | 275,326 | 623 | |
| 2000s | 177,926 | 177,604 | 322 | |
| 2010s | 66,878 | 66,792 | 86 | |
| 2020s | 17,854 | 17,848 | 6 | |
Nicholas by State
Birth registrations for Nicholas span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, New York, Pennsylvania. The lowest are in Wyoming, Alaska, Vermont. On average, about 18,018 Nicholass were registered per state.
Nicholas + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Nicholas as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Nicholas
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
Nicholas: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nicholas?
We estimate approximately 851,882 people named Nicholas are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 402 Americans share this first name.
Is Nicholas a common name?
Nicholas is classified as "Very Common" and is more popular than 100% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 926,036 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Nicholas most popular?
Nicholas reached peak popularity in 1995, when 29,217 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Nicholas is approximately 33 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Nicholas in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 711,305 people with the first name Nicholas. That placed it at #49 in the published Census first-name tables, or 235.51 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Nicholas was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Nicholas?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Nicholas was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 99.9% male and 0.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Nicholas?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Nicholas was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.48%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (11.46%) and Black (4.74%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Nicholas a male name?
Nicholas is predominantly male. 99.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Nicholas have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Nicholas peaked in 1995, and the average living bearer is about 33 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Nicholas Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Nicholas Smith, Nicholas Johnson, Nicholas Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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