Nicholette
Feminine diminutive form of the name Nicholas, of Greek origin meaning "victorious people".
Name Census estimates that about 1,194 living Americans carry the first name Nicholette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nicholette today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nicholette births was 1993 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nicholette. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 287,064 Americans
Peak year
1993
74 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,942
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Nicholette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nicholette from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 390 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nicholette 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 Nicholette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nicholettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Ohio recorded the most babies named Nicholette, while New York, Illinois, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 35 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nicholette
The name Nicholette is a French feminine form of the name Nicholas, which has its origins in the Greek name Nikolaos. Nikolaos is derived from the words "nikan" meaning "to conquer" and "laos" meaning "people." The name was brought to France during the Middle Ages and the feminine form Nicholette emerged as a variation.
Nicholette was a relatively uncommon name during the medieval period, but it gained some popularity in France during the Renaissance era. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nicholette was in a 13th-century French fabliau, a genre of humorous and often satirical tales.
In the 16th century, a French noblewoman named Nicholette de Vertus (1505-1572) gained recognition for her literary works, including a collection of poems and a novel. Her writings provided insights into the lives of women during the Renaissance and helped to popularize the name.
Another notable figure in history with the name Nicholette was Nicholette Bourcier (1755-1838), a French artist and engraver who was known for her exquisite engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects. Her works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and she was recognized as one of the leading female artists of her time.
In the 19th century, Nicholette Ganne (1828-1905) was a French novelist and playwright. She wrote several popular novels and plays that explored themes of love, family, and societal issues. Her works were well-received and helped to further establish the name in French culture.
Another notable Nicholette was Nicholette Leyder (1852-1935), a French soprano who had a successful career performing in operas throughout Europe. She was particularly acclaimed for her performances in the works of Richard Wagner and was considered one of the leading sopranos of her generation.
While less common in English-speaking countries, the name Nicholette has maintained a presence in French culture and literature over the centuries, with its origins rooted in the ancient Greek name Nikolaos and its associations with strength and conquering.
People
Nicholette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nicholette as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nicholette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nicholette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nicholette 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 287,064 US residents.
Is Nicholette a common name?
We classify Nicholette as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nicholette most popular?
The single biggest year for Nicholette was 1993, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nicholette is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nicholette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nicholette 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.