Nikodemus
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Nikodemus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nikodemus today is around 2 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nikodemus births was 2024 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nikodemus. 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 Nikodemus. 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
2
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,887
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Nikodemus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus
The name Nikodemus originates from the Greek language and has its roots in the names Nikodemos and Νικόδημος. It is derived from the Greek words "nike," meaning victory, and "demos," meaning people, essentially translating to "victor of the people."
This name has strong biblical connections, as it was the name of a Pharisee mentioned in the Gospel of John. Nikodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council who visited Jesus at night to learn more about his teachings. He is remembered for his famous quote, "How can a man be born when he is old?"
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Nikodemus, a Greek grammarian and philosopher who lived in the 2nd century BC. He was known for his works on grammar and rhetoric.
In the 4th century AD, Nikodemus the Presbyter was a Christian saint and monk who lived in a monastery near Antioch. He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church for his piety and asceticism.
During the 11th century, Nikodemus of Calabria was a renowned Greek monk and theologian who authored several works on canon law and ascetic practices.
In the 16th century, Nikodemus Frischlin (1547-1590) was a German poet, philologist, and Protestant reformer who made significant contributions to the Renaissance humanist movement.
Another notable figure was Nikodemus Tessin the Younger (1654-1728), a Swedish architect and city planner who played a crucial role in the architectural development of Stockholm during the Baroque era.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Nikodemus, which has maintained its significance and cultural resonance over the centuries.
People
Nikodemus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nikodemus 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
Nikodemus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nikodemus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus a common name?
We classify Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus most popular?
The single biggest year for Nikodemus was 2024, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nikodemus is about 2 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 Nikodemus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nikodemus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nikodemus 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 Nikodemus 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 are named Nikodemus?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Nikodemus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.