Given name & surname
Nicola
“of the victorious people”
In German use, Nicola is a variant of Nicole. In Greek use, Nicole carries the interpretation “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Nicola is a variant of Nicole. In Greek use, Nicole carries the interpretation “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Nicola is a feminine form of Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Nicola is used as a feminine counterpart of Nicholas.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1908. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Nicola is a feminine form 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
Nicola through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,090
- 3,012 boys · 5,078 girls
- Most popular year
- 1972
- 236 babies
- 2025
- 40
- #3,920 for boys · #8,720 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +16%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 67% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 28 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,920 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 29.1% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 53 in 1972. It also appeared in 12 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 12,714 as a first name in 2020; 1,663 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.
Nicola’s family of names
In English usage, Nicola has a diminutive in Nikki. Nicola is a feminine form of Nicholas. In German usage, Nicola has a related form in Nicole.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nicola has relatives in 43 languages.
76 related names in 43 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Nicholasvariant · English
- Nicoshort form · Italian, English
- Nicolevariant · German, French
- Nikolasvariant · German, English
- Nikolavariant · German, Maltese
- Nicolaivariant · Italian, Danish
- Nikkidiminutive · English
- Nicolettadiminutive · Italian
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Nikolausvariant · German, Norwegian Nynorsk
- Nikidiminutive · English
- Niklasvariant · German, Swedish
- Nickydiminutive · English
- Nicdiminutive · English
- Nickidiminutive · English
- Nicholavariant · English
- Nicolausvariant · German, Latin
- Nicollalikely variant
- Nicolòvariant · Italian
- Colapietroshort form · Italian
- Niccolòvariant · Italian
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 62
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- NicolasPortuguese, German
- ColeEnglish
- ColinEnglish, French
- NikolaiDanish
- NickEnglish
- NickolasEnglish
- KlausGerman
- NilsSwedish, Norwegian
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Nikoleequivalent
- NielsDutch, Danish
- NicolScottish Gaelic
- NikolCzech
- NicklasSwedish
- NikolettaHungarian
- NicolaasDutch
- Niccolaequivalent
- Nicolaucognate · Portuguese, Catalan
- Nixolaequivalent
- NiclasSwedish, Danish
- NikolajSlovene, Danish
- NicolaeRomanian
- NishiAlbanian
- NicolasaSpanish
- Nicklaequivalent
- Nicolaiaequivalent
- Nicolussipatronymic from · Italian
- ΝικόλαοςGreek
- NícolasPortuguese
- Nicoláscognate · Spanish
- Colamarinopatronymic from · Italian
- Colandreapatronymic from · Italian
- Colantoniopatronymic from · Italian
- MikulášCzech, Slovak
- MiklósHungarian
- МиколаUkrainian
- НиколаSerbian, Bulgarian
- NigolaSardinian
- НиколайRussian, Bulgarian
- MikuśPolish
- MikołajekPolish
- MikołajPolish
- MikasLithuanian
- MikalojusLithuanian
- NikolajsLatvian
- NikulásIcelandic
- NíoclasIrish
- ΝίκοGreek
- ΝίκοςGreek
- ニコラJapanese
- ნიკოლოზGeorgian
- ColasFrench
- NigulisteEstonian
- NikolaoEsperanto
- MicolauCatalan
- NikolazBreton
- NickelLow German
- ՆիկողոսArmenian
- ՆիկողայոսArmenian
- NikkuliitGreenlandic
- NikolineDanish
And 2 more.
People named Nicola
- Nicola SturgeonFirst Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023born 1970
- Nichi VendolaItalian writer and politicianborn 1958
- Nicola RizzoliItalian football refereeborn 1971
- Nicola PeltzAmerican actressborn 1995
- Nicola PisanoItalian sculptor and architect (1225–1284)
- Nicola AbbagnanoItalian existential philosopher (1901-1990)
- Nicola OlyslagersAustralian athleteborn 1996
- Nicola ZalewskiPolish association football playerborn 2002
- Nicola PorporaItalian composer1686–1768
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nicola, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nikita
“unconquered, unconquerable”
57% boys · 43% girls
Aquila
“resembling an eagle; a constellation”
50% boys · 50% girls
Torrance
“from the little hills”
70% boys · 30% girls
Lanier
“one who works with wool”
57% boys · 43% girls
Nima
“blessed by God”
55% boys · 45% girls
Audie
“the last daughter born” · “of noble strength”
66% boys · 34% girls
Desi
“one who is desired; hoped for” · “one who is desired”
45% boys · 55% girls
Azure
“sky blue” · “resembling a blue semiprecious stone”
52% boys · 48% girls