Nicolai
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- NIK-o-ly
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #5,065 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #2,572 for boys
Nicolai is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “victory of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 5,065th for boys in the UK (3 babies) and 2,572nd for boys in the US (51 babies).
What does Nicolai mean?
Greek: Danish and German form of Nicholas; also a spelling of Russian Nikolai
“victory of the people”
Used in Denmark and Germany, and as a spelling of Nikolai, the Russian form of Nicholas.
Is Nicolai a girl's or a boy's name?
Nicolai is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 3 boys in the UK and 51 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nicolai in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 5,065th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 3 about 1 in 100,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 17% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 3 boys in the UK were named Nicolai, making it the 5,065th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,143rd. Its busiest year was 2019, with 8 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Nicolai than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Nicolai in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,974th in England and Wales.
Nicolai in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | #5,065 |
| 2024 | 6 | #3,335 |
| 2023 | 5 | #3,712 |
| 2022 | 4 | #4,195 |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,188 |
| 2020 | 1 | #6,143 |
| 2019 | 8 | #2,633 |
| 2018 | 3 | #4,959 |
| 2017 | 5 | #3,608 |
| 2016 | 1 | #6,416 |
| 2015 | 4 | #4,086 |
| 2014 | 7 | #2,843 |
| 2013 | 4 | #4,008 |
| 2012 | 5 | #3,572 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 3 | #4,865 |
| 2009 | 5 | #3,395 |
| 2008 | 4 | #3,836 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 6 | #2,645 |
| 2005 | 3 | #3,992 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 3 | #3,593 |
| 2002 | 1 | #4,262 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 3 | #3,043 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 4 | #2,442 |
How popular is Nicolai in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 2,572nd among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 51 about 1 in 33,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 6% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 51 boys in the US were named Nicolai, making it the 2,572nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,545th. Its busiest year was 2015, with 78 boys. It first appears in the records in 1962.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years.
Half of all the boys named Nicolai in the US since 1880 were born between 1999 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nicolai in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #2,572 |
| 2024 | 52 | #2,559 |
| 2023 | 54 | #2,479 |
| 2022 | 69 | #2,135 |
| 2021 | 50 | #2,587 |
| 2020 | 50 | #2,545 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2,420 |
| 2018 | 62 | #2,209 |
| 2017 | 45 | #2,714 |
| 2016 | 66 | #2,110 |
| 2015 | 78 | #1,870 |
| 2014 | 68 | #2,062 |
| 2013 | 60 | #2,181 |
| 2012 | 63 | #2,131 |
| 2011 | 50 | #2,477 |
| 2010 | 60 | #2,186 |
| 2009 | 59 | #2,230 |
| 2008 | 70 | #2,000 |
| 2007 | 50 | #2,504 |
| 2006 | 57 | #2,220 |
| 2005 | 48 | #2,395 |
| 2004 | 47 | #2,372 |
| 2003 | 45 | #2,345 |
| 2002 | 30 | #3,018 |
| 2001 | 27 | #3,223 |
| 2000 | 30 | #2,916 |
| 1999 | 28 | #2,935 |
| 1998 | 29 | #2,779 |
| 1997 | 30 | #2,609 |
| 1996 | 23 | #3,102 |
| 1995 | 41 | #2,021 |
| 1994 | 32 | #2,387 |
| 1993 | 20 | #3,240 |
| 1992 | 23 | #2,903 |
| 1991 | 22 | #2,909 |
| 1990 | 36 | #2,044 |
| 1989 | 26 | #2,463 |
| 1988 | 14 | #3,518 |
| 1987 | 9 | #4,567 |
| 1986 | 16 | #3,002 |
| 1985 | 10 | #4,047 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,698 |
| 1983 | 15 | #2,911 |
| 1982 | 5 | #6,383 |
| 1981 | 11 | #3,599 |
| 1980 | 8 | #4,493 |
| 1979 | 7 | #4,840 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,056 |
| 1977 | 7 | #4,580 |
| 1976 | 13 | #2,945 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,426 |
| 1974 | 5 | #5,225 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 6 | #3,934 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 6 | #3,638 |
Nicknames for Nicolai
Names like Nicolai
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Nico, Luca, Kai, Noah, Lucas, Sebastian, Brody, Elijah, Rowan, Tobias, Ali, Theo
Names related to Nicolai
Nikola, Nikolai, Nicolo, Niccolo, Nicolae, Nicola, Nicholai, Nikoli, Nickolai
More Greek names
Theodore, Sophia, George, Sofia, Alexander, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe, Iris, Maisie, Lainey, Elena
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nicolai: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nicolai, updated 20 October 2026.