Nicola
About Nicola
Nicola, an elegant Latinate feminization of Nicholas, has long been standard issue for English girls but for some reason has never voyaged across the Atlantic, which we consider a pity, especially as Nicole's standing has waned.
In Britain, Nicola first appeared around 1940, started rising in the fifties and by the mid-1970's had reached third place on the popularity list, after which it began to be replaced by Nicole.
Nicola is a masculine name in Italy: one historic bearer Nicola Pisano was a renowned and influential thirteenth century sculptor. Classic Nicola still ranks well within the Top 100 boy names in Italy, although it is trending steadily downwards like its English equivalent.
In his novel The Well Beloved, Thomas Hardy spelled it Nichola. Nicoletta or Nicolette, which was the name of an enchanting princess in the medieval French romance Aucassin et Nicolette, is a more feminissima version.
Pronounced NIK-uh-luh.
As of October 2026, Nicola ranked #8720 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #762 in 1972, Nameberry popularity #963.
Editor: Pamela Redmond
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #4,427 | 33 | 18.5 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | — | 0 | 0 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Nicola.
- Marlene
- Rosemarie
- Nicolette
- Sonia
- Julietta
- Annabeth
- Daniéle
- Yvonne
- Angeline
- Marinette
- Adrianne
- Anelise
- Giovanna
- Carlotta
- Clarisse
- Josette
- Anita
- Marily
- Eleanore
- Klara
Nicola on lists
Famous Nicolas
- Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon
First Minister of Scotland
- Nicola Maria Roberts
English singer of Girls Aloud
- Nicola Anne Peltz
American actress
- Nicola "Nic" Haste
English YouTuber of Pixiwoo
- Nicola Adams
British Olympic boxer
- Nicola Payne
sister of English singer Liam Payne of One Direction
- Nicola Vicars "Nikki" Coghill
Australian actress
- Nicola Mary Pagett
English actress
- Nicola Wheeler
English actress
- Nicola Griffith
English fantasy novelist
- Nicola Tappenden
English glamour model
- Nicola Marie Bolger
Australian soccer player
- Nicola Elizabeth "Nikki" Frost (Holland)
photographer, mother of Tom Holland
- Nicola Coughlan
Irish Actress
Nicola in pop culture
- Nicola West
character on Australian TV soap "Neighbours"
- Nicola King
character on British soap "Emmerdale"
- "Nicola and the Viscount
" novel by Meg Cabot
- Nicola Murray
character on British TV series "The Thick of It"
- Nicola Six
character in Martin Amis novel "London Fields"