Nikola

Meaning: Victor for the people
Origin: From Greek, via Slavic languages

Nicknames: Niko

Boy's name · #1651 in the US (2025) · 2020s wave

Popularity over time

Nikola is near its high-water mark: it reached #1239 in 2020 and still ranked #1651 in 2025. About 3,400 boys have carried it since 1960.

Across the states

See where Nikola is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 12 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Nikola is especially popular in Bosnia (Rep. Srpska).

#10 in Bosnia (Rep. Srpska) (2025) · #35 in Croatia (2025) · #117 in Slovenia (2025) · #148 in Austria (2025) · #189 in Switzerland (2025) · #228 in Sweden (2025) · #510 in Norway (2025) · #1,040 in Netherlands (2025) · #1,498 in Belgium (2025) · #1,979 in England & Wales (2025) · #2,060 in France (2025) · #909 in Canada (2024).

Famous Nikolas

Nikola Tesla — Serbian-American engineer and inventor (1856–1943)
Nikola Gruevski — Politician from North Macedonia
Nikola Jokić — Serbian basketball player
Nikola Kalinić — Croatian association football player
Nikola Žigić — Serbian footballer

In stories & tradition

Nikola Stojšić — Before dawn : a novel in two parts (book)

What Nikolas become

Among 2,007 notable people named Nikola:

Military figures appear 2.27× more often than among typical names — e.g. Nikola VII Zrinski, Croatian military commander (1620–1664).

Spellings & nicknames

About 1,100 boys a year are given Niko as their full name.

Similar names: Nickolas · Yakov · Nikko · Damir · Artemis · Nikolaos

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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