Nicholas is a distinctive choice, ranked #211 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Nicholas in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#211
US Rank #118
About the Name Nicholas
Nicholas is gradually declining in popularity, having dropped 35 places over five years. Its high point was #52 in 1996, and it now sits at #211. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 9 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
Nicholas is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #118, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nicholas
Unlikely. With around 236 UK babies named Nicholas per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nicholas in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nicholas has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 35 places in the last five years. Its peak was #52 in 1996. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Nicholas is more popular in the US (#118) than in the UK (#211). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Nicholas include: Nicholas Bailey — Nicholas Richard Bailey is a British actor, best known for his role as Anthony Trueman in the soap opera EastEnders.; Nicholas Lloyd — Sir Nicholas Markley Lloyd is a British former newspaper editor and broadcaster.; Nicholas — Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos..
Nicholas appears in the US top 500 at #118 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
236
UK babies named Nicholas (2024)
~0.0
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 35 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nicholas
Likely around 1 other Nicholas in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Nicholas
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Nicholas Richard Bailey is a British actor, best known for his role as Anthony Trueman in the soap opera EastEnders. He also participated in the 2006 series of ITV's Soapstar Superstar.
Nicholas II was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication in 1917. He was the last monarch of Russia before the Russian Revolution, and oversaw the Russian Empire's participation in World War I.
Fayard Antonio Nicholas was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He and his younger brother Harold Nicholas made up the Nicholas Brothers tap dance duo, who starred in the MGM musicals An All-Colored Vaudeville Show, Stormy Weather, The Pirate, and Hard Four.
Thomas Evan Nicholas, who used the bardic name Niclas y Glais (Welsh for 'Nicholas of Glais''), was a Welsh language poet, preacher, radical, and champion of the disadvantaged of society.
Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos. It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'.
Nicholas I may refer to: Pope Nicholas I (c. 800–867), or Nicholas the Great Nicholas Mystikos (852–925), Patriarch Nicholas I of Constantinople Nicholas I (bishop of the Isles), Bishop-elect of the Isles Nicholas I, Lord of Mecklenburg Nicholas I of Transylvania, voivode of Transylvania Nicholas I (bishop of Schleswig) Patriarch Nicholas I of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1210 and 1243 Nicholas I, Duke of Troppau, natural son of king Ottokar II of Bohemia, became Duke of Troppau in Silesia Nicholas I, Lord of Rostock Nicholas I, Count of Tecklenburg Nicholas I Garai, chief governor of Bratislava, palatine to the King of Hungary Nicholas I of Opole (c.
Nicholas I was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1825 to 1855. He was the third son of Paul I and younger brother of his predecessor, Alexander I.