Fun Facts About the Name Nicole
- A favorite of earlier generations: Nicole appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 40 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 2013 through 2013.
- More than 596 thousand babies named Nicole: U.S. records list 596,459 babies given the name Nicole from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,965 boys received the name Nicole - about 1 boy for every 303 girls.
What Does the Name Nicole Mean?
Nicole is the French feminine form of Nicolas, a name that goes back to Greek Nikolaos. The Greek name combines nike, "victory," with laos, "people," so its literal sense is "victory of the people." The customary English phrasing, "victory of the people" or "people's victory," reflects that same literal meaning rather than a separate symbolic one.
Nicole has no independent origin of its own: its meaning is the meaning of the masculine Nicolas, and it corresponds to the feminine forms that developed from that name in various European languages, such as Nicola in Italian usage.
Nicole Name History & Origins
Greek Nikolaos was a common name in the early Christian Greek-speaking world. It was borne by Saint Nicholas, a bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in the fourth century, whose veneration spread from the Byzantine world to western Europe. Through that devotion the masculine name became extremely common across medieval Europe in forms such as Nicholas in English and Nicolas in French. The feminine Nicole grew out of the French masculine Nicolas; it is found in medieval French records and was also used in medieval England, where it later fell out of general use.
A French diminutive of Nicole, Nicolette, gave rise to the further short form Colette. In modern times Nicole became a familiar feminine name in France and in English-speaking countries, and it is the form used in the United States, Britain, and elsewhere. A well-known fictional bearer is Nicole Diver in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel Tender Is the Night (1934), a literary use that comes long after the name's medieval appearance in France and England.
How Popular is the Name Nicole?
Nicole ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1969 through 2007, then returned in 2013 and remained through 2013.
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 | #383 | 803 | 0.0500% |
| 2024 | #318 | 961 | 0.0596% |
| 2023 | #327 | 941 | 0.0587% |
| 2022 | #323 | 995 | 0.0607% |
| 2021 | #341 | 954 | 0.0582% |
| 2020 | #266 | 1,163 | 0.0720% |
| 2019 | #229 | 1,365 | 0.0814% |
| 2018 | #217 | 1,429 | 0.0840% |
| 2017 | #184 | 1,664 | 0.0964% |
| 2016 | #162 | 1,954 | 0.1103% |
| 2015 | #154 | 2,116 | 0.1186% |
| 2014 | #128 | 2,540 | 0.1422% |
| 2013 | #91 | 3,351 | 0.1910% |
| 2012 | #114 | 2,661 | 0.1511% |
| 2011 | #117 | 2,655 | 0.1510% |
| 2010 | #122 | 2,570 | 0.1446% |
| 2009 | #119 | 2,770 | 0.1508% |
| 2008 | #106 | 3,290 | 0.1740% |
| 2007 | #86 | 3,873 | 0.2015% |
| 2006 | #74 | 4,322 | 0.2273% |
| 2005 | #56 | 4,993 | 0.2702% |
| 2004 | #43 | 5,741 | 0.3127% |
| 2003 | #40 | 6,235 | 0.3413% |
| 2002 | #37 | 6,974 | 0.3881% |
| 2001 | #36 | 7,820 | 0.4343% |
| 2000 | #31 | 8,562 | 0.4715% |
| 1999 | #25 | 9,515 | 0.5364% |
| 1998 | #24 | 9,911 | 0.5609% |
| 1997 | #21 | 10,744 | 0.6172% |
| 1996 | #22 | 11,134 | 0.6352% |
| 1995 | #19 | 12,277 | 0.6981% |
| 1994 | #11 | 16,011 | 0.8966% |
| 1993 | #13 | 16,183 | 0.8946% |
| 1992 | #14 | 16,325 | 0.8853% |
| 1991 | #15 | 16,047 | 0.8559% |
| 1990 | #13 | 17,953 | 0.9456% |
| 1989 | #12 | 19,034 | 1.0325% |
| 1988 | #9 | 20,314 | 1.1407% |
| 1987 | #8 | 20,286 | 1.1668% |
| 1986 | #7 | 21,292 | 1.2411% |
| 1985 | #7 | 22,967 | 1.3346% |
| 1984 | #7 | 22,271 | 1.3226% |
| 1983 | #7 | 22,400 | 1.3408% |
| 1982 | #6 | 21,706 | 1.2818% |
| 1981 | #7 | 20,311 | 1.2176% |
| 1980 | #7 | 19,917 | 1.1995% |
| 1979 | #9 | 19,509 | 1.2153% |
| 1978 | #10 | 17,280 | 1.1280% |
| 1977 | #15 | 15,247 | 0.9945% |
| 1976 | #13 | 14,452 | 0.9864% |
| 1975 | #10 | 14,277 | 0.9793% |
| 1974 | #11 | 13,114 | 0.8936% |
| 1973 | #11 | 13,922 | 0.9547% |
| 1972 | #10 | 15,755 | 1.0357% |
| 1971 | #27 | 10,423 | 0.6264% |
| 1970 | #30 | 10,691 | 0.6116% |
| 1969 | #47 | 7,212 | 0.4275% |
| 1968 | #108 | 3,083 | 0.1879% |
| 1967 | #123 | 2,776 | 0.1681% |
| 1966 | #169 | 2,029 | 0.1199% |
| 1965 | #298 | 898 | 0.0509% |
| 1964 | #330 | 831 | 0.0439% |
| 1963 | #381 | 655 | 0.0340% |
| 1962 | #407 | 565 | 0.0287% |
| 1961 | #616 | 273 | 0.0135% |
| 1960 | #647 | 243 | 0.0120% |
| 1959 | #700 | 205 | 0.0101% |
| 1958 | #744 | 180 | 0.0089% |
| 1957 | #858 | 141 | 0.0069% |
| 1956 | #805 | 153 | 0.0076% |
| 1955 | #894 | 120 | 0.0061% |
| 1954 | #919 | 110 | 0.0057% |
| 1953 | #853 | 120 | 0.0064% |
| 1952 | #913 | 103 | 0.0056% |
| 1951 | #959 | 94 | 0.0052% |
| 1950 | #955 | 89 | 0.0052% |
| 1949 | #1,100 | 68 | 0.0040% |
| 1948 | #1,080 | 68 | 0.0040% |
| 1947 | #1,102 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 1946 | #934 | 80 | 0.0051% |
| 1945 | #992 | 61 | 0.0047% |
| 1944 | #1,036 | 58 | 0.0044% |
| 1943 | #827 | 89 | 0.0064% |
| 1942 | #943 | 70 | 0.0052% |
| 1941 | #1,408 | 31 | 0.0026% |
| 1940 | #1,578 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1939 | #2,540 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1938 | #3,742 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #3,095 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #13,544 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #9,407 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #13,749 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #10,652 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #14,015 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #8,002 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #6,359 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #6,509 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #4,945 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #5,784 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #4,648 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #5,323 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #3,875 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1999 | #3,556 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #6,683 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #4,002 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #3,514 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,161 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #2,109 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1993 | #2,037 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 1992 | #2,118 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1991 | #2,276 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1990 | #1,863 | 42 | 0.0020% |
| 1989 | #990 | 107 | 0.0053% |
| 1988 | #1,335 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 1987 | #1,100 | 77 | 0.0041% |
| 1986 | #1,005 | 85 | 0.0046% |
| 1985 | #1,053 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 1984 | #1,029 | 75 | 0.0042% |
| 1983 | #952 | 86 | 0.0048% |
| 1982 | #986 | 84 | 0.0046% |
| 1981 | #983 | 85 | 0.0047% |
| 1980 | #972 | 86 | 0.0048% |
| 1979 | #1,054 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 1978 | #980 | 78 | 0.0048% |
| 1977 | #1,003 | 74 | 0.0045% |
| 1976 | #1,054 | 63 | 0.0040% |
| 1975 | #1,049 | 63 | 0.0040% |
| 1974 | #1,106 | 56 | 0.0036% |
| 1973 | #1,064 | 59 | 0.0038% |
| 1972 | #935 | 74 | 0.0046% |
| 1971 | #1,194 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1970 | #1,162 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 1969 | #1,457 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1968 | #3,290 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #3,160 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #3,166 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #2,926 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #4,450 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1962 | #4,463 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #4,474 | 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.
