Niclaus
Variant of Nicholas, a masculine name meaning "victory of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Niclaus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Niclaus today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Niclaus births was 2000 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Niclaus. 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 Niclaus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2000
5 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2006 SSA rank
#13,436
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Niclaus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Niclaus 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 Niclaus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Niclaus
The name Niclaus originates from the ancient Greek name Nikolaos, which is a combination of the words "nikan" meaning "to conquer" and "laos" meaning "people." It can be interpreted as "victory of the people" or "conqueror of the people." The name was later latinized to Nicolaus and eventually evolved into various spellings such as Nicholas, Niklaus, and Niclaus.
In the early Christian era, Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century bishop known for his generosity and kindness towards children, helped popularize the name. His legends and tales were widely spread throughout Europe, particularly in regions like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where the name Niclaus became commonly used.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Niclaus can be found in the 12th-century German epic poem "Nibelungenlied," where a character named Niclaus von Bayern is mentioned. Another notable figure was Niclaus of Cusa (1401-1464), a German philosopher, mathematician, and cardinal who made significant contributions to the Renaissance.
Throughout history, several other individuals have borne the name Niclaus. These include Niclaus Gerhaert van Leyden (1420-1473), a Dutch painter known for his religious works; Niclaus Stör (1600-1662), a German organist and composer; and Niclaus Egender (1756-1828), a Swiss painter renowned for his landscape paintings.
In the field of science, Niclaus Wyngard (1617-1678) was a Swiss astronomer and mathematician who made important observations of comets and planetary movements. Additionally, Niclaus Weickmann (1611-1680), a German author and educator, wrote several influential educational works that were widely used in his time.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Niclaus. While the spelling and pronunciation may have varied across regions and cultures, the name's origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek Nikolaos, reflecting a rich history and cultural significance.
People
Niclaus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Niclaus 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
Niclaus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Niclaus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Niclaus 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Niclaus a common name?
We classify Niclaus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Niclaus most popular?
The single biggest year for Niclaus was 2000, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Niclaus is about 23 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 Niclaus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Niclaus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Niclaus 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 Niclaus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Niclaus 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 Niclaus 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 common is the name Niclaus?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Niclaus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.