Nicolas is a distinctive choice, ranked #343 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Nicolas in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#343
US Rank #185
About the Name Nicolas
Nicolas has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 90 places in five years. It was most popular in 2019 at #252 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Nicolas 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 #185, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nicolas
Unlikely. With around 128 UK babies named Nicolas per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nicolas in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nicolas has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 90 places in the last five years. Its peak was #252 in 2019. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Nicolas is more popular in the US (#185) than in the UK (#343). 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 Nicolas include: Nicolas Mohr — Nicolas Mohr is an Austrian footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Austrian Regionalliga club FC Lauterach.; Nicolas Anelka — Nicolas Sébastien Anelka is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a forward.; Nicolas Vinokurov — Nicolas Vinokurov is a Kazakh cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam XDS Astana Team..
Nicolas appears in the US top 500 at #185 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
128
UK babies named Nicolas (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 90 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nicolas
Likely around 1 other Nicolas 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 Nicolas
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Nicolas Sébastien Anelka is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. As a player, he regularly featured in his country's national team, often scoring at crucial moments.
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa is a French former politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, his roots are half Hungarian Protestant, a quarter Greek Jewish, and a quarter French Catholic.
Nicolas Perrot, a French explorer, fur trader, and diplomat, was one of the first European men to travel in the Upper Mississippi Valley, in what is now Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Nicholas (or Nicolas) Jenson was a French engraver, pioneer, printer and type designer who carried out most of his work in Venice, Italy. Jenson acted as Master of the French Royal Mint at Tours and is credited with being the creator of one of the finest early Roman typefaces.
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, known in his adult life as Nicolas Chamfort and as Sébastien Nicolas de Chamfort, was a French writer, best known for his epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI's sister Madame Élisabeth, and of the Jacobin club.