Fun Facts About the Name Nikola
- More than 4 thousand babies named Nikola: U.S. records list 4,101 babies given the name Nikola from 1880 through 2025. Even 658 girls received the name Nikola - about 1 girl for every 5 boys.
What Does the Name Nikola Mean?
Nikola is a masculine given name in South Slavic and several other languages. It is a form of the Greek name Nikolaos (Νικόλαος), which is also the source of the English name Nicholas. The Greek name is a compound of nike (νίκη), "victory," and laos (λαός), "people," so its literal meaning is "victory of the people" or "people's victory."
Nikola Name History & Origins
Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, bore the Greek name Nikolaos. His veneration spread widely in the Eastern and Western churches, and the name passed into Latin as Nicolaus and then into many European languages. English uses Nicholas; the form Nikola belongs especially to South Slavic languages such as Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Macedonian, where it is a masculine name. In South Slavic, the name took the form Nikola, with the Greek ending -os dropped.
In Czech, Slovak, and Polish, Nikola is commonly feminine, while the usual masculine forms are Mikuláš (Czech and Slovak) and Mikołaj (Polish). Other Slavic languages have their own forms, including Russian Николай (Nikolai) and Ukrainian Микола (Mykola). In South Slavic tradition, the saint is called Sveti Nikola, and the name is closely associated with his cult. A famous modern bearer was Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943), the Serbian-American inventor, though his fame does not account for the name's earlier use.
How Popular is the Name Nikola?
Nikola has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2020. Its best rank was #1,239 in 2020.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,820 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #14,746 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #14,664 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #10,981 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,841 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #11,828 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #6,627 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #10,358 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #11,365 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #6,836 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #7,511 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #8,830 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #10,068 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #9,554 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #11,907 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #7,796 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #10,471 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #10,600 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #10,627 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #10,420 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #7,407 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #10,483 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #17,645 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #10,035 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #9,904 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #7,913 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #10,096 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #8,421 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #10,519 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #6,292 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #8,548 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #7,459 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #8,513 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #8,534 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #8,414 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #14,533 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,532 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,638 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #8,986 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #7,928 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #5,710 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #6,228 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #8,747 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #8,774 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,638 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #5,119 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #4,362 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #5,474 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1975 | #3,724 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1974 | #4,380 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #3,430 | 19 | 0.0013% |
| 1972 | #3,247 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1971 | #4,468 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #3,676 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #5,334 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #7,831 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #5,307 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #6,338 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #5,648 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #7,483 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #5,798 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,651 | 102 | 0.0060% |
| 2024 | #1,594 | 108 | 0.0063% |
| 2023 | #1,443 | 126 | 0.0074% |
| 2022 | #1,452 | 125 | 0.0072% |
| 2021 | #1,294 | 147 | 0.0084% |
| 2020 | #1,239 | 151 | 0.0088% |
| 2019 | #1,343 | 134 | 0.0075% |
| 2018 | #1,250 | 148 | 0.0082% |
| 2017 | #1,356 | 132 | 0.0071% |
| 2016 | #1,355 | 132 | 0.0070% |
| 2015 | #1,276 | 141 | 0.0074% |
| 2014 | #1,410 | 120 | 0.0062% |
| 2013 | #1,490 | 110 | 0.0058% |
| 2012 | #1,557 | 102 | 0.0054% |
| 2011 | #1,597 | 97 | 0.0051% |
| 2010 | #1,813 | 81 | 0.0042% |
| 2009 | #1,836 | 81 | 0.0041% |
| 2008 | #1,731 | 88 | 0.0043% |
| 2007 | #2,107 | 65 | 0.0031% |
| 2006 | #1,911 | 71 | 0.0035% |
| 2005 | #2,053 | 61 | 0.0031% |
| 2004 | #1,743 | 73 | 0.0037% |
| 2003 | #2,095 | 54 | 0.0027% |
| 2002 | #1,910 | 59 | 0.0030% |
| 2001 | #1,582 | 76 | 0.0039% |
| 2000 | #1,753 | 64 | 0.0033% |
| 1999 | #1,796 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 1998 | #2,087 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1997 | #2,295 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1996 | #2,101 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1995 | #2,088 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 1994 | #1,767 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 1993 | #1,843 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 1992 | #2,723 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1991 | #2,450 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #2,152 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1989 | #2,450 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 1988 | #2,827 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #3,163 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #3,811 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1985 | #2,410 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #2,784 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1983 | #3,369 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #2,097 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #2,549 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #2,504 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #2,527 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1978 | #2,350 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1977 | #2,433 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1976 | #2,916 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1975 | #2,420 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1974 | #2,900 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #4,378 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #2,625 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #3,576 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #2,835 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #3,504 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #4,000 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #2,918 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #3,514 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #2,470 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1961 | #3,571 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,435 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
