Nikoah
A Latinized variant of the Hebrew Nikoh meaning "innocent" or "unblemished".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Nikoah. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nikoah today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nikoah births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nikoah. 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 Nikoah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2024
6 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,886
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Nikoah: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nikoah 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 Nikoah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nikoah
The name Nikoah has its origins in ancient Sumerian culture, dating back to around 3500 BC. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian words "ni" meaning "life" and "koa" meaning "flourish" or "blossom." Thus, the name Nikoah can be interpreted as "one who flourishes with life" or "life blossoming."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nikoah can be found in the Sumerian King List, an ancient manuscript detailing the rulers of Sumer. The text mentions a king named Nikoah who ruled the city-state of Uruk around 2800 BC. Although little is known about his reign, his name has been preserved in this historical record.
In the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known literary works, a character named Nikoah appears as a wise and revered sage. This Nikoah is portrayed as a mentor to the hero Gilgamesh, imparting valuable wisdom and guidance. The inclusion of this name in such an influential ancient text suggests its significance in Sumerian culture.
During the Akkadian Empire, which ruled Mesopotamia from around 2350 BC to 2150 BC, the name Nikoah was also documented. One notable figure from this period was Nikoah of Babylon, a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of astronomy and mathematics.
In later centuries, the name Nikoah continued to be used, although less frequently. One prominent individual bearing this name was Nikoah of Alexandria, a scholar and mathematician who lived in the 5th century AD. He is credited with developing advanced methods for calculating the circumference of the Earth and other astronomical measurements.
Another historical figure with the name Nikoah was a monk who lived in the 9th century AD in the Byzantine Empire. Known as Nikoah the Hermit, he was revered for his piety and spiritual wisdom, and his writings on monastic life were widely studied.
While the name Nikoah has ancient roots and a rich history, it has become relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its enduring presence in historical records and texts serves as a testament to its cultural significance and the profound impact of those who bore this name throughout the ages.
People
Nikoah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nikoah 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
Nikoah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nikoah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nikoah 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Nikoah a common name?
We classify Nikoah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nikoah most popular?
The single biggest year for Nikoah was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nikoah is about 3 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 Nikoah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nikoah a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nikoah 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 Nikoah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nikoah 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 Nikoah 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 Nikoah?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.