Nicolaus
Victor of the people, a masculine name of Greek origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,109 living Americans carry the first name Nicolaus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nicolaus today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nicolaus births was 1998 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nicolaus. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 309,066 Americans
Peak year
1998
47 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2023 SSA rank
#8,716
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Nicolaus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nicolaus from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 374 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
Nicolaus 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 Nicolaus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nicolaus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Nicolaus, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nicolaus
The given name Nicolaus has its origins in the Greek language, derived from the combination of the words "niko" (meaning victory) and "laos" (meaning people). It emerged during the Hellenistic period of ancient Greece, around the 3rd century BCE. The name was initially popularized in the regions of the Greek world, including mainland Greece, Asia Minor, and parts of the Mediterranean.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nicolaus appears in the New Testament of the Bible, where it refers to a proselyte from Antioch who became a disciple of Jesus Christ. This biblical reference likely contributed to the name's subsequent spread and adoption within the Christian world.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nicolaus. One of the most famous was Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), the renowned Polish astronomer who revolutionized our understanding of the universe by proposing the heliocentric model, which placed the Sun at the center of the solar system.
Another prominent figure was Nicolaus of Damascus (born around 64 BCE), a Greek historian and philosopher who served as an advisor to several Roman emperors, including Augustus and Herod the Great.
In the realm of mathematics, Nicolaus Chuquet (c. 1445-1500) was a French mathematician and the first to use the modern algebraic notation for exponents. His work laid the foundation for subsequent advancements in the field.
The name Nicolaus was also borne by Nicolaus of Cusa (1401-1464), a German philosopher, theologian, and cardinal of the Catholic Church, who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy.
Another notable figure was Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686), a Danish scientist and pioneer in the field of geology, who is often referred to as the "father of stratigraphy" for his groundbreaking work on the principles of rock formation.
These examples showcase the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals who shared the name Nicolaus throughout history, spanning various fields, including science, philosophy, religion, and more.
People
Nicolaus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nicolaus 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
Nicolaus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nicolaus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,109 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nicolaus 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 309,066 US residents.
Is Nicolaus a common name?
We classify Nicolaus as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,141 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nicolaus most popular?
The single biggest year for Nicolaus was 1998, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nicolaus is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nicolaus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nicolaus 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.
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.