Given name & surname
Nicolae
Nicolae is a masculine given name from Old Church Slavonic, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in Romanian.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
In Romanian use, Nicolae shares an earlier linguistic root with Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Romanian usage, Nicolae developed from Νικόλαος.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2003. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Romanian use, Nicolae shares an earlier linguistic root with 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
Nicolae through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 174
- 174 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 18 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +15%
- Rising
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 7 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 18 in 2010. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,309 as a first name in 2020; 262 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.
Nicolae’s family of names
In Romanian usage, Nicolae has a diminutive in NICU. Nicolae shares a linguistic root with Nicholas. In Romanian usage, Nicolae has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Nicola.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nicolae has relatives in 9 languages.
13 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Nikolaivariant · German
- nea Nicunickname
- Naeclipped form
- Laeclipped form
- Nicușordiminutive · Romanian
- Nicudiminutive · Romanian
- Niculescuvariant · Romanian
- Niculițădiminutive · Romanian
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 29
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Nicholascognate · English
- Nicolasequivalent
- Nikolasequivalent
- Nikolaequivalent
- Nikolaosequivalent
- NicolaItalian
- Nikolausequivalent
- Nilsequivalent
Show 21 moreShow fewer
- Nielsequivalent
- Nikolayequivalent
- Nikosequivalent
- Mykolaequivalent
- Nicolaasequivalent
- Nikolajequivalent
- Nicolauequivalent
- Nikolajusequivalent
- Νίκοςequivalent
- Nikolazequivalent
- Niccolòequivalent
- Miklósequivalent
- Nickelequivalent
- НиколайRussian
- Νικόλαοςroot · Greek, Ancient Greek
- NicolásSpanish
- Nicoarădoublet · Romanian
- MikulášCzech
- Niculaieequivalent
- Миколаequivalent
- Mikołajequivalent
People named Nicolae
- Nicolae Timofti4th President of Moldova (r. 2012–2016)born 1948
- Nicolae IorgaRomanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright (1871-1940)
- Nicolae DicăRomanian footballerborn 1980
- Nicolae Văcăroiu55th Prime Minister of Romania (1992-1996)born 1943
- Nicolae Ciucă70th Prime Minister of Romania (2021-2023)born 1967
- Nicolae StanciuRomanian association football player (born 1993)
- Prince Nicholas of RomaniaRomanian Royal (1903–1978), prince regent of Romania from 1927 to 1930
- Nicolae GrigorescuRomanian artist (1838-1907)
- Nicolae BălcescuRomanian journalist and historian (1819–1852)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nicolae, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nikkos
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Niko
“of the victorious people”
98% boys · 2% girls
Joran
“one who works the earth; a farmer” · “jehovah is exalted”
>99% boys
Nikshay
>99% boys
Samajae
>99% boys
Nekoda
85% boys · 15% girls
Nyshaun
>99% boys
Gionnie
>99% boys