Niko

Niko - A very unique male name

Niko appeared on the charts for the first time in 1984 on position #2501. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Niko and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Niko? 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 Niko. The baby boy name Niko was given to 1,021 baby boys in 2025, ranking #325 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,436 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Niko peaked in popularity 5 years ago in 2021 on position 289.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Niko, 1-5?

Niko is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Niko is currently topping the baby name charts in Alaska at position #134 - and is the least popular in Maryland at position #553.

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 Niko is where you live.

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Niko origin and meaning

Finnish and South Slavic short form of Nicholas, from Greek Nikolaos

'Victory of the people' — from nike, 'victory,' and laos, 'people'

Niko is the everyday form of Nicholas in Finland and a short form of Nikola and Nicholas across parts of Europe, inheriting the Greek meaning 'victory of the people.' In the US it appears from 1984 and has grown steadily as parents favour short international forms. It sits near its 2022 peak.

Attested etymology

Niko is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

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

Similar to Niko

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

Nick / Nash / Nico / Nicky / Nikko / Najee / Nakia / Nunzio / Nehemias / Nancy /

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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 Niko

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 Niko 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 Niko?

2 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

NEE-koh · /ˈniːkoʊ/

Around the world

• Nico (Italian) — Italian and Spanish spelling of the same short form
• Nico (German) — German short form spelling

Spellings and nicknames

• Nico — C spelling variant
• Nikko — Double-k respelling

Famous bearers

• Niko Kovač — Croatian footballer and manager (b. 1971) Contemporary
• Niko Bellic — Protagonist of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV (Fictional, 2008) Fictional

Style

InternationalShort form

Why parents choose it

Niko is compact, friendly and travels well across languages — a full name that already sounds like a nickname.

Worth knowing

• The Niko/Nico spelling split means choosing one and correcting the other regularly.