Nikolay
Boy name · Estonian · Greek · Russian
Meaningvictory of the people · Russian form of Nicholas
- US rank
- #6,143
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #3,377 in 2010
14 babies were named Nikolay in the US in 2025. It has dropped 908 places in five years.
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1992–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Nikolay you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Nikolay
Nikolay Nekrasov
Russian poet, writer, critic, editor and publisher (1821–1878)
Choose Nikolay and your child shares a first name with Nikolay Nekrasov, a Russian poet, writer, critic, editor and publisher. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Nikolay, like who?” Nikolay Nekrasov's Wikipedia article is available in 87 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Nikolay Nekrasov on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Vezenberg & Co., Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 121,951 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Nikolay, 14 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Nikolay would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryNikolay first shows up in US birth records in 1992, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 33 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 2010, when it reached #3,377.
- TrendNikolay has slipped 908 places over the last five years and now sits at #6,143. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningNikolay is a Russian form of Nicholas, which means “victory of the people”. Our records link it to Estonian, Greek and Russian roots.
- OriginNikolay is the #2 most popular Estonian boy name in the US. That's out of 20 Estonian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Nikolay
Nikolay is a boy name of Estonian, Greek and Russian origin meaning “victory of the people”. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with N and ending in “-lay”. US birth records list Nikolay for boys from 1992 to 2025, in 32 of those 34 years. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked #3,377 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #6,143, with 14 babies.
Origin:Estonian namesGreek namesRussian names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.2 | 457,143 boys |
| 2000s | 8.2 | 122,699 boys |
| 2010s | 12 | 86,059 boys |
| 2020s | 8.8 | 114,286 boys |
Other spellings of Nikolay
More Estonian boy names
- Boy name: Nikoli · victory of the people
- Unisex name: Laine
- Boy name: Nikolaj
- Boy name: Riky
Questions about the name Nikolay
What does the name Nikolay mean?
Nikolay means “victory of the people” in Russian, as a form of Nicholas.
What is the origin of the name Nikolay?
Nikolay has Estonian, Greek, Russian roots in our records. Other Estonian names include Nikoli, Laine, Nikolaj.
Is Nikolay a boy or girl name?
Nikolay is a boy name.
How popular is the name Nikolay?
Nikolay ranked #6,143 for US boys in 2025, given to 14 babies. Its best year was 2010 (#3,377).