Nikolai is a distinctive choice, ranked #1235 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Nikolai in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#1235
US Rank #589
About the Name Nikolai
Nikolai has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 216 places in five years. It was most popular in 2019 at #894 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Nikolai 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 #589, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nikolai
Unlikely. With around 22 UK babies named Nikolai per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nikolai in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nikolai has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 216 places in the last five years. Its peak was #894 in 2019. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Nikolai is more popular in the US (#589) than in the UK (#1235). 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 Nikolai include: Nikolai von Bismarck — Count Nikolai Leopold Archibald von Bismarck-Schönhausen (German: Nikolai Leopold Archibald Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen; born 29 December 1986) is a British...; Nikolai Valuev — Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev is a Russian politician and former professional boxer.; Nikolai Lugansky — Nikolai Lvovich Lugansky is a Russian pianist..
Nikolai ranks #589 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
22
UK babies named Nikolai (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 216 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Nikolai
Likely around 1 other Nikolai 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 Nikolai
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Count Nikolai Leopold Archibald von Bismarck-Schönhausen (German: Nikolai Leopold Archibald Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen; born 29 December 1986) is a British photographer.
Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev is a Russian politician and former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1993 to 2009, and held the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title twice between 2005 and 2009.
Nikolai Lvovich Lugansky is a Russian pianist. He regularly performs with leading orchestras and conductors and records for labels including Warner Classics and Harmonia Mundi.
Nikolai Maximovich Fomin (Russian: Николай Максимович Фомин, Ukrainian: Микола Максимович Фомін, romanized: Mykola Maksymovych Fomin; born 1937 in Novoekonomichne, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) is a Soviet-Ukrainian engineer. He was the chief engineer of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant from 1981 until the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
Nikolai Terent'yevich Shamalov, Nikolai Terent'evich Shamalov or Nikolai Terentievich Shamalov is a Belarusian-born Russian dentist, businessman, and a founding member of Ozero. He is a close confidant of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Count Nikolai Dmitrievich Tolstoy-Miloslavsky is a Russian–British historian and writer. He is a former parliamentary candidate for the UK Independence Party and is the current nominal head of the House of Tolstoy, a Russian noble family.
Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov (Russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Вави́лов, IPA: [nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ vɐˈvʲiləf] ; 25 November [O.S. 13 November] 1887 – 26 January 1943) was a Russian and Soviet agronomist, botanist and geneticist who identified the centers of origin of cultivated plants.
Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin (; Russian: Николай Иванович Бухарин, IPA: [nʲɪkɐˈlaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪdʑ bʊˈxarʲɪn]; 9 October [O.S. 27 September] 1888 – 15 March 1938) was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and Marxist theorist.
Nikolai Ulyanov can also refer to Vladimir Lenin or his grandfather Nikolai Vasilyevich Ulyanov Nikolai Pavlovich Ulyanov was a Russian painter, scenic designer, and graphic artist. He was one of the members of the art association ‘The Four Arts’, which existed in Moscow and Leningrad in 1924-1931.