Micole
French variation of the ancient name Nicole, meaning "victory of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 539 living Americans carry the first name Micole. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Micole today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Micole births was 1988 (39 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Micole. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
539
~ 1 in 635,908 Americans
Peak year
1988
39 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2005 SSA rank
#18,284
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Micole: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Micole from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 251 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Micole by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Micole during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Micoles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Illinois, Georgia recorded the most babies named Micole, while New York, Maryland, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Micole
The given name Micole has its origins in the ancient Greek language, tracing back to the Hellenic era around the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be a variant or diminutive form of the Greek name Nikolas, which means "victory of the people." The root "niko" comes from the Greek word "nike," meaning victory, while "laos" translates to people or populace.
Micole was not a particularly common name in ancient Greek texts or historical records, but it did appear occasionally as a feminine form of the more widely used masculine name Nikolas. One of the earliest known references to Micole can be found in a collection of inscriptions from the island of Delos, dating back to the 2nd century BCE.
During the Byzantine era, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century CE, the name Micole gained some popularity among Greek-speaking Christian communities. It is recorded in several church registers and ecclesiastical documents from this period, often associated with women of notable families or those who held positions of influence within the Church.
In the 12th century, a renowned Byzantine scholar and theologian named Micole Akominatos (1140-1220) wrote extensively on various philosophical and religious topics, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time. His works were widely studied and helped to maintain the legacy of the name Micole within the Byzantine Empire.
Another notable figure associated with the name was Micole of Otranto (1355-1366), a young Italian girl who was martyred at the age of 11 during the Ottoman invasion of Otranto in 1480. Her story of bravery and faith in the face of persecution became a significant part of local folklore and religious tradition, further cementing the name's significance in the region.
In the 16th century, a Greek-born Italian painter named Micole Gasparo (1537-1602) gained recognition for her works depicting religious scenes and portraits. Her art can be found in various churches and museums across Italy, showcasing the continued use of the name Micole among the Greek diaspora during the Renaissance period.
While the name Micole has not achieved widespread popularity in modern times, it remains a unique and historically significant name with deep roots in Greek culture and Byzantine history. Its enduring presence, although relatively rare, serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of names that have endured through the ages.
People
Micole + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Micole as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Micole: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Micole?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 539 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Micole going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 635,908 US residents.
Is Micole a common name?
We classify Micole as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 577 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Micole most popular?
The single biggest year for Micole was 1988, when 39 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Micole is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Micole a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Micole in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.