Nikola

Nikola - A very unique male name

Nikola appeared on the charts for the first time in 1972 on position #1966. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nikola and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nikola? 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 Nikola. The baby boy name Nikola was given to 60 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1584 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 24,438 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nikola peaked in popularity 6 years ago in 2020 on position 1242.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Nikola, 1-5?

Nikola is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nikola is currently topping the baby name charts in Illinois at position #786 - and is the least popular in New York at position #1,692.

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 Nikola is where you live.

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Nikola origin and meaning

South and East Slavic form of Nicholas, from Greek

Nicholas: 'victory of the people,' from Greek nike, victory, and laos, people

Nikola is the standard form of Nicholas in Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian and other Slavic languages, and in the US it is inseparable from Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor. A second wave of recognition came with Serbian basketball star Nikola Jokic. US use peaked in 2020.

Attested etymology

Nikola is a 6 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Nikola

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

Nigel / Nikolai / Nikhil / Nicola / 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 Nikola

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 Nikola 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 Nikola?

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

NEE-koh-luh · /ˈnikoʊlə/

Around the world

• Nicholas (English) — The English form of the same Greek name.
• Nikolaus (German) — German form.
• Nicola (Italian) — Italian masculine form.

Spellings and nicknames

• Nicholas — The English form — a separate established name.
• Nikolas — Anglicised spelling variant.

Famous bearers

• Nikola Tesla — Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer (1856–1943) Historical
• Nikola Jokic — Serbian basketball player, NBA champion and multiple-time MVP (b. 1995) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Nikola suits families with Slavic heritage — or admiration for Tesla — wanting a classic that is uncommon in the US.

Worth knowing

• In English Nikola can be misread as a girl's name, since it ends in -a.