unisex name
Nicol
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 2,892
Scotland
#753
2017 births
Nicol is a unisex name with 2 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 90% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1970, when 130 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 207,211 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Nicol started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1956.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nicol over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 272 |
| 1970s | 826 |
| 1980s | 295 |
| 1990s | 186 |
| 2000s | 306 |
| 2010s | 239 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 119 |
How popular is Nicol?
In 2025, Nicol was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Nicol is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Nicol
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nicol also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nicol over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Nicol
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nicol — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nicol
How popular is the name Nicol?
In 2025, Nicol was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Nicol a girl's or a boy's name?
Nicol is used for both girls and boys. About 90% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Nicol?
Nicol has 2 syllables.
When was Nicol most popular?
Nicol peaked in 1970, when 130 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Nicol a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nicol currently ranks #6,601 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Nicol originally a boys' or girls' name?
Nicol was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.