UK boy's name
Mikolaj
A masculine name of Polish origin derived from Nicholas meaning "victory of the people".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mikolaj is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mikolaj popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1076, with 27 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 146 births.
This profile covers 1,592 England and Wales registrations across 22 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 18% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,783 living people in the UK are called Mikolaj. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mikolaj ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 27 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 146 boys were registered as Mikolaj.
- • Mikolaj ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
- • About 1,783 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mikolaj as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1076
2024
Births in 2024
27
Latest year
Peak year
2016
146 births
Estimated living
1,783
2026
Meaning
What does Mikolaj mean?
Mikolaj is a masculine given name of Polish origin, derived from the Greek name Nikolaos. The name Nikolaos itself is a compound of the words "niko" (victory) and "laos" (people), hence meaning "victor of the people" or "people's champion." The Polish form, Mikolaj, emerged as a vernacular adaptation of the name.
In the early Christian era, the name gained widespread popularity due to its association with Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th-century bishop renowned for his generosity and kindness towards children. The veneration of Saint Nicholas contributed significantly to the dissemination of the name throughout Europe.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Mikolaj was Mikolaj Wierzynek (1350-1412), a wealthy merchant and benefactor in Krakow, Poland. His legacy includes the renowned Wierzynek Restaurant, which he established in the 14th century and remains operational to this day.
Another notable figure was Mikolaj Kopernik (1473-1543), better known by his Latin name Nicolaus Copernicus. He was a Renaissance-era mathematician and astronomer who formulated the heliocentric model of the solar system, revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos.
In the realm of literature, Mikolaj Rej (1505-1569) was a Polish Renaissance writer, poet, and playwright, considered a leading figure in the development of the Polish literary language and a pioneer of Polish prose writing.
The name Mikolaj has also been borne by Polish monarchs, such as Mikolaj I Radziwiłł (1512-1584), a powerful Lithuanian-Polish prince and military leader during the 16th century, renowned for his victories against the Muscovite forces.
In more recent times, Mikolaj Kopernik (1933-2022) was a Polish mathematician and computer scientist, best known for his contributions to the development of early computer systems and programming languages in Poland.
Throughout history, the name Mikolaj has remained a popular choice within Polish culture, reflecting its deep-rooted connections to religious, literary, and historical figures who have left an indelible mark on Polish and European heritage.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mikolaj over time
The chart below shows babies named Mikolaj registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mikolaj, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 27 births in 2024, compared with 146 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mikolaj by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mikolaj was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #728 | 258 | 5 |
| 2010s | #400 | 1,080 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1509 | 254 | 7 |
Geography
Where Mikolaj is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mikolaj. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mikolaj ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #392 in 2020.
Across the UK
Mikolaj in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#482 in 2023
17 years of NRS records, 152 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#392 in 2020
10 years of NISRA records, 50 total registered
Related
Names similar to Mikolaj
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Mikolaj: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mikolaj in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mikolaj was ranked #1076 for boys in England and Wales, with 27 births registered.
When was Mikolaj most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 146 babies registered as Mikolaj in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mikolaj?
A masculine name of Polish origin derived from Nicholas meaning "victory of the people".
How many people are called Mikolaj in the UK?
A total of 1,592 babies have been registered as Mikolaj across the 22 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 152 more in Scotland and 50 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Mikolaj most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mikolaj ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #392 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.