Nieko
Dutch origin meaning "no one" or "nothing".
Name Census estimates that about 312 living Americans carry the first name Nieko. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nieko today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nieko births was 2022 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nieko. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Nieko with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
312
~ 1 in 1,098,572 Americans
Peak year
2022
18 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,805
Tracked since 1989
Census
Nieko in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 225 people with the first name Nieko, which placed it at #35,641 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#35,641
National first-name rank
People counted
225
225 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
31.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nieko
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nieko is White at 31.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (31.1%) and Black (20.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Nieko described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Nieko at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White31.1% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino31.1% · 70
- Black or African American20.0% · 45
- Two or more races13.3% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 5
Popularity
Nieko: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nieko from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 85 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nieko 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 Nieko during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nieko
The given name Nieko has its roots in the Lithuanian language, tracing back to the 15th century. It is a diminutive form derived from the Lithuanian word "niekas," which translates to "nothing" or "nobody." This unique name carries an intriguing history and meanings within the Lithuanian cultural context.
During the medieval period, Lithuania was a powerful kingdom, and its language played a significant role in the region. The name Nieko emerged as a playful and affectionate diminutive, often bestowed upon children as a term of endearment. It was believed to bring good luck and protection to the child, symbolizing their humble beginnings and the boundless potential for growth and achievement.
While there are no direct references to the name Nieko in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in historical records from the 16th century onwards. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the chronicles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, where a nobleman named Nieko Radvila was mentioned in connection with diplomatic affairs during the reign of King Sigismund II Augustus (1520-1572).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Nieko. One such figure was Nieko Mickevičius (1572-1631), a prominent Lithuanian writer and poet who contributed significantly to the development of Lithuanian literature during the Renaissance period.
In the 18th century, Nieko Žemaitė (1745-1821) was a renowned Lithuanian painter known for her vibrant portraits and landscapes. Her works are still celebrated and exhibited in museums across Lithuania and Europe.
Another noteworthy individual was Nieko Basanavičius (1851-1927), a prominent figure in the Lithuanian National Revival movement. He played a crucial role in promoting Lithuanian language, culture, and independence from the Russian Empire.
During the 20th century, Nieko Noreikaitė (1905-1992) was a celebrated Lithuanian actress who graced the stage and screen with her remarkable performances. Her contributions to Lithuanian theater and cinema are still recognized and celebrated today.
Throughout its history, the name Nieko has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, politicians, and cultural figures, all of whom have left an indelible mark on Lithuanian society and beyond.
People
Nieko + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nieko 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
Nieko: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nieko?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 312 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nieko 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 1,098,572 US residents.
Is Nieko a common name?
We classify Nieko as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 316 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nieko most popular?
The single biggest year for Nieko was 2022, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nieko is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Nieko in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 225 people with the name Nieko, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #35,641 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Nieko in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Nieko?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Nieko leans strongly male. 209 people counted with this name were male (90.5%), compared with 22 female bearers (9.5%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Nieko?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Nieko is White at 31.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (31.1%) and Black (20.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Nieko most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Nieko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 31.1% (70 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Nieko in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nieko a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nieko 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 Nieko still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nieko 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 Nieko 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.
How many people share the name Nieko?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.