Nickos
Greek name meaning "winner" or "victory for the people".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Nickos. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nickos today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nickos births was 1985 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nickos. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nickos. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1985
7 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1985 SSA rank
#5,576
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Nickos: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nickos 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 Nickos during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nickos
The name Nickos has its origins in the Greek language and culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is a variant of the more common name Nicholas, which is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos. Nikolaos itself is a compound word formed from the Greek words "nikan" meaning "to conquer" and "laos" meaning "people."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Nickos can be found in the Byzantine Empire, where it was borne by a 6th-century bishop named Nickos of Myra. He was renowned for his generosity and kindness, particularly towards children, and his legacy as a gift-giver became associated with the modern-day figure of Santa Claus.
In the 11th century, a prominent historical figure named Nickos Rhabdas was a Byzantine scholar and theologian who wrote extensively on the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His works were widely circulated and influential during his lifetime and continued to be studied for centuries afterward.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Nickos Machiavelli (1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, and author. He is best known for his political treatise "The Prince," which offered practical advice for rulers and sparked debates about the ethics of power and governance.
In the realm of arts and literature, Nickos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) was a Greek writer and philosopher, renowned for his novels "Zorba the Greek" and "The Last Temptation of Christ." His works explored themes of existentialism, spirituality, and the human condition, leaving an indelible mark on modern Greek literature.
Moving into more recent history, Nickos Anelka (born in 1979) is a French professional football player who has played for various clubs across Europe, including Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Chelsea. He was part of the French national team that won the European Championship in 2000 and is considered one of the most talented strikers of his generation.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Nickos, showcasing its enduring presence across different cultures, eras, and fields of endeavor.
People
Nickos + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nickos 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
Nickos: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nickos?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nickos 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Nickos a common name?
We classify Nickos as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nickos most popular?
The single biggest year for Nickos was 1985, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nickos is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nickos in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nickos a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nickos in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Nickos still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nickos in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nickos can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Nickos?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Nickos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.