Given name & surname
Nico
“of the victorious people”
In English use, Nico is a diminutive of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Nico is a diminutive of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Nico is a diminutive of Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch. In Italian use, Nico is a short form of Nicostrato. An origin associated with Nicostrato is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Italian use, Nico is used as a shortened form of Nicolò.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1960. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Nico is a diminutive of Nicholas. The history of Nicholas gives this family its wider story. Nicholas’s Christian associations include Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, about whom virtually nothing factual is known.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Nico through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 22,322
- 21,294 boys · 1,028 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 2,096 babies
- 2025
- 2,096
- #174 for boys · #4,633 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +88%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,066 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 174 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 92.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 30 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (328). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 15,028 as a first name in 2020; 428 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Nico’s family of names
In English usage, Nico is a diminutive of Nicholas. In English usage, Nico has a related form in Nick. Nico has a related form in Nicholas.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nico has relatives in 10 languages.
19 related names in 10 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Nico
- Nico RosbergGerman–Finnish former Formula 1 racing driverborn 1985
- Nico HülkenbergFormula One racing driverborn 1987
- Nico WilliamsSpanish footballerborn 2002
- Nico SchlotterbeckGerman association football playerborn 1999
- Nico ElvediSwiss association football playerborn 1996
- Nico GonzálezArgentine association football player (born 1998)
- Nico PazArgentine-Spanish footballer (born 2004)
- Nico O'ReillyEnglish footballer (born 2005)
- Nico GonzálezSpanish association football player (born 2002)
Characters named Nico: Nico Minoru (Marvel Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nico, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nikkos
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Kairo
“from the city of Cairo”
97% boys · 3% girls
Neithan
>99% boys
Kylo
Kylo is a masculine given name.
98% boys · 2% girls
Beckett
“from the small brook”
95% boys · 5% girls
Cairo
“from the city in Egypt” · “one who is victorious; from the capital of Egypt”
95% boys · 5% girls
Koa
“a fearless man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Jaziel
Jaziel is a masculine given name.
99% boys · 1% girls