Nikolai is a distinctive choice, ranked #1226 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Nikolai in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#1226
US Rank #605
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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 uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Nikolai in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #589, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Nikolai
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 photographer.
Nikolai Valuev — Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev is a Russian politician and former professional boxer.
Nikolai Lugansky — Nikolai Lvovich Lugansky is a Russian pianist.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Nikolai
Unlikely. With around 23 UK babies named Nikolai per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Nikolai in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Nikolai is declining: down 207 places since 2020, to #1,226 in 2025. It peaked at #894 in 2019.
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, Nikolai Valuev and Nikolai Lugansky. Short summaries for each appear below.
Nikolai ranks #589 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
23
UK babies named Nikolai (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 207 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
Almost certainly the only Nikolai in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
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 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.
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.
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.