Nikoli
A masculine name of Russian origin meaning "victor of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 650 living Americans carry the first name Nikoli. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nikoli today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nikoli births was 2010 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nikoli. 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
650
~ 1 in 527,314 Americans
Peak year
2010
40 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,105
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Nikoli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nikoli 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 290 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nikoli 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 Nikoli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nikolis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nikoli
The name Nikoli has its roots in the Greek language and culture, with its origins dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "nikolaos," which means "victory of the people." This name was popular in ancient Greece and was often given to children born during times of significant military or political victories.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nikoli can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC. He mentions a man named Nikoli who was a notable general during the Greco-Persian Wars.
In the 4th century BC, another Nikoli gained prominence as a philosopher and follower of Aristotle. This Nikoli is credited with contributing to the development of early logic and metaphysics.
During the Byzantine era, the name Nikoli was commonly used among the Greek Orthodox Christian community. It was often given to children in honor of Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors and children.
A famous bearer of the name Nikoli was Nikoli Gogol, a renowned Russian writer and playwright who lived from 1809 to 1852. His works, including "Dead Souls" and "The Overcoat," are considered classics of Russian literature.
Another notable figure with the name Nikoli was Nikoli Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer who lived from 1856 to 1943. Tesla made groundbreaking contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electrical supply system and is renowned for his work in the fields of electromagnetism and electromechanical engineering.
In the realm of sports, Nikoli Pirogov was a Russian gymnast who won multiple Olympic gold medals in the early 20th century. He competed in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games and is regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of his era.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Nikoli, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and enduring popularity across different regions and time periods.
People
Nikoli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nikoli 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
Nikoli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nikoli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 650 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nikoli 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 527,314 US residents.
Is Nikoli a common name?
We classify Nikoli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 657 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nikoli most popular?
The single biggest year for Nikoli was 2010, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nikoli is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nikoli a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nikoli 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.