boy's name
Nicolai
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 4
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 2,171
Nicolai is a boy's name with 4 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 51 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 2015, when 78 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 65,007 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1962.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Nicolai over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 12 |
| 1970s | 48 |
| 1980s | 125 |
| 1990s | 284 |
| 2000s | 463 |
| 2010s | 607 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 326 |
How popular is Nicolai?
In 2025, Nicolai was given to 51 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Nicolai 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.
How Nicolai is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolaï | Nicolaï is a rare spelling of Nicolai, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 30 times, mostly in France. | 30 |
Names that peaked alongside Nicolai
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nicolai also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nicolai over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Nicolai
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nicolai — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nicolai
How popular is the name Nicolai?
In 2025, Nicolai was given to 51 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Nicolai a girl's or a boy's name?
Nicolai is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nicolai?
Nicolai has 4 syllables.
When was Nicolai most popular?
Nicolai peaked in 2015, when 78 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Nicolai a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nicolai currently ranks #2,588 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.