The first name Nicolas
A boy’s name from Latin.
Pronounced /ˈnɪ.kə.ləs/ 3 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
A male given name from Latin [in turn from Ancient Greek], of less common usage, variant of Nicholas.
A form of Nicholas.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 115 boys were named Nicolas, making it the 363rd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 197 births (#267).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Nicolas with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Nicolas at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,053 boys born in the United States were named Nicolas, the 177th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2003, when 3,003 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Nicolas
434 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Nicolas Sarkozy23rd president of the French Republic from 2007 to 2012
- Nicolas CageAmerican actor (born 1964)
- Nicolas PoussinFrench painter (1594-1665)
- Nicolas AppertFrench inventor of airtight food preservation (1749–1841)
- Nicolas Boileau-DespréauxFrench poet and critic (1636–1711)
- Nicolas CarnotFrench physicist (1796–1832)
- Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat de CondorcetFrench philosopher, mathematician, and political scientist (1743–1794)
- Nicolas AnelkaFrench football manager (born 1979)
- Nicolas Louis de LacailleFrench astronomer, 1713–1762
- Nicolas ChamfortFrench journalist and moralistic author, 1740–1794
- Nicolás OtamendiArgentine association football player, born 1988
- Nicolas MalebrancheFrench philosopher, 1638–1715
More Latin boys’ names
Questions
- What is the origin of the name Nicolas?
- Nicolas comes from Latin.
- How popular is the name Nicolas?
- In 2025, 115 boys born in England and Wales were named Nicolas, ranking 363rd. Its peak was 2016, with 197 births.
- Is Nicolas a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 101,764 US babies named Nicolas since 1880 were boys.
- When was Nicolas most popular?
- 2003 in the United States, when 3,003 babies were named Nicolas, its highest rank at 134th.
- How do you pronounce Nicolas?
- Nicolas is /ˈnɪ.kə.ləs/, 3 syllables.
- What name is Nicolas a form of?
- Nicolas is a form of Nicholas.
- Is Nicolas also a surname?
- Yes. Nicolas is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.