Nicola

Nicola - A very unique male name

Nicola appeared on the charts for the first time in 1912 on position #746. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nicola and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nicola? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Nicola. The baby boy name Nicola was given to 7 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3469 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 209,469 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nicola peaked in popularity 114 years ago in 1912 on position 746.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Nicola, 1-5?

Nicola is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nicola is currently topping the baby name charts in Florida at position #1,583 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,583.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Nicola is where you live.

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Nicola origin and meaning

Greek, via Italian (masculine)

The Italian masculine form of Nicholas — Greek Nikolaos, 'victory of the people' (nike, 'victory,' + laos, 'people')

This profile is Nicola for boys: in Italian Nicola is unambiguously male (Saint Nicholas is San Nicola), though in English-speaking countries the identical spelling is usually a girls' name. US boys' use peaked in 1972.

Attested etymology

Nicola is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Nicola, pop culture references for the name Nicola and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Nicola

We've found the following names that sound similar to Nicola, sorted by popularity.

Nigel / Nikolai / Nikhil / Nikola / Nicole / Nicolai / Nicolo / Niccolo / Nicholai / Nikolay /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Nicola

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Nicola a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Nicola?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

nih-KOH-luh · /nɪˈkoʊlə/

Around the world

• Nicola (Italian) — The standard Italian masculine form, used as-is.
• Nikolaos (Greek) — The Greek original of the Nicholas family.

Spellings and nicknames

• Nicholas — The English form of the same name.
• Nicolas — The French and Spanish form.

Famous bearers

• Nicola Di Bari — Italian singer-songwriter, two-time Sanremo Festival winner (b. 1940) Contemporary

Style

InternationalClassic

Why parents choose it

The Italian boys' Nicola — a heritage choice that needs confidence in English-speaking settings.

Worth knowing

• In the US and UK Nicola reads as a girls' name — a boy Nicola will correct that assumption regularly.