Given name & surname
Nicole
“of the victorious people”
In French use, Nicole is a feminine form of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Original GreekΝικολέττα
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Greek use, Nicole carries the interpretation “of the victorious people.” In French use, Nicole is a feminine form of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
How it developed
In French use, Nicole is used as a feminine counterpart of Nicholas.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1937. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In French use, Nicole 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
Nicole through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 596,465
- 1,965 boys · 594,500 girls
- Most popular year
- 1985
- 23,043 babies
- 2025
- 803
- #383 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −39%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 803 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 383 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 38.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 22,966 in 1985. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (132). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 544,076 as a first name in 2020; 938 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.
Nicole’s family of names
In English usage, Nicole has a diminutive in Nikki. Nicole is a feminine form of Nicholas. In German usage, Nicole has a conventional equivalent in the Danish form Nichole.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nicole has relatives in 20 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
53 related names in 20 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 54
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Nikodiminutive · German
- Nikolasvariant · German
- Nicolettediminutive · French
- Nikolavariant · German, Czech
- Nicollevariant · French, German
- Nikitavariant
- Nicholevariant · English, Danish
- Nikkidiminutive · English
Show 46 moreShow fewer
- Nicolavariant · German, English
- Nicolettavariant
- Nikolevariant · German, English
- Nicolvariant · German, Czech
- Nikidiminutive · English, Czech
- Nikolvariant · Czech
- Nickydiminutive · English
- Nikolettavariant · Hungarian
- Nicdiminutive · English
- Nickidiminutive · English
- Niquitavariant
- Nikeetavariant
- Nickitavariant
- Nakitavariant
- Nakeetavariant
- Nicholavariant · English
- Nickeyvariant
- Nickievariant
- Nicoletevariant
- Nicoletavariant · Romanian
- Nykolevariant · English
- Nycolevariant
- Nykiavariant
- Nycholevariant
- Nikoliavariant · English
- Nikoletavariant
- Nikkyvariant
- Nikkolevariant · English
- Nickolevariant · English
- Nickolvariant · English
- Nichollevariant · English
- Nicholvariant · English
- Niccolevariant · English
- Necolevariant
- Nicolinevariant · French, Danish
- Nijolevariant
- Nikolaevnavariant
- Nicolletvariant
- Nicolletavariant
- Nickeevariant
- Nyquollevariant
- Nyquolevariant
- Nykoliavariant
- Nychollvariant
- Niquollevariant
- Niquolevariant · English
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 28
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- ΝικολέτταGreek
- ΝικολέταGreek
- Nicholasmasculine form
- Nicoequivalent
- Nicolasmasculine form · French, English
- Micoleequivalent
- NicollEnglish
- NikolettHungarian
Show 20 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Nicole
- Nicole KidmanAustralian-American actress, producer, and model (born 1967)
- Nicole ScherzingerAmerican singer and actress (born 1978)
- Nikki ReedAmerican actressborn 1988
- Nicole Oresme14th century French philosopher and bishop1320–1382
- Nicole SeibertGerman schlager singer (born 1964)
- Nicole Gale AndersonAmerican actressborn 1990
- Nicole RichieAmerican television personality and actressborn 1981
- Nicole VaidišováCzech tennis playerborn 1989
- Nikki BlonskyAmerican actressborn 1988
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nicole, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who works the earth; a farmer”
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Nicholl
“of the victorious people”
>99% girls
Nic(c)olò
—
Nikkolay
“of the victorious people”
—
Nicolls
“of the victorious people”
—