Nikolai

Nikolai - A very unique male name

Nikolai appeared on the charts for the first time in 1975 on position #1652. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nikolai and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nikolai? 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 Nikolai. The baby boy name Nikolai was given to 415 baby boys in 2025, ranking #621 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,533 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nikolai peaked in popularity 11 years ago in 2015 on position 471.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Nikolai, 1-5?

Nikolai is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nikolai is currently topping the baby name charts in New Mexico at position #259 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #1,001.

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 Nikolai is where you live.

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Nikolai origin and meaning

Russian form of Nicholas (Greek)

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

Nikolai is the Russian form of Nicholas, borne by tsars, by Gogol, and by generations of Russian boys. In the US it has been a small but steady presence since 1975, peaking in 2016 — chosen mainly by families with Slavic roots or a taste for strong international classics.

Attested etymology

Nikolai is a 7 letter name with 3 syllables.

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

Similar to Nikolai

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

Nigel / Nikhil / Nikola / 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 Nikolai

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 Nikolai 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 Nikolai?

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

NIK-uh-ly · /ˈnɪkəlaɪ/

Around the world

• Nicholas (English) — The English form of the same name.
• Nikola (Serbian and Croatian) — The South Slavic form of the same name.
• Mikołaj (Polish) — The Polish form of the same name.

Spellings and nicknames

• Nikolay — A y-ending transliteration variant.

Nicknames: KolyaNiko

Famous bearers

• Nikolai Gogol — Russian novelist and playwright, author of Dead Souls (1809–1852) Historical
• Nikolai II — Last Emperor of Russia, executed with his family in 1918 (1868–1918) Historical

Style

InternationalClassicRoyal

Why parents choose it

Parents pick Nikolai for its tsarist, literary weight — Nicholas with the volume turned up.

Worth knowing

• English speakers split on pronunciation, and many will shorten it to Nick, losing the Russian flavour entirely.