UK name, mostly boys
Niko
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "victorious 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.
Niko is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Niko popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #509, with 77 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2022, with 78 births.
This profile covers 694 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 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 99% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 753 living people in the UK are called Niko. 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
- • Niko ranked #509 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 77 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2022, when 78 boys were registered as Niko.
- • Niko ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #395 in 2023.
- • About 753 living people in the UK are estimated to have Niko as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 98.2% of Niko registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#509
2024
Births in 2024
77
Latest year
Peak year
2022
78 births
Estimated living
753
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Niko
In England and Wales birth records, Niko has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 98.2% of registrations are for boys and 1.8% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Niko registered for boys
- Ranked #509 in 2024
- 77 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (78 births)
Niko registered for girls
- Ranked #5,493 in 2020
- 3 girls registered in 2020
- Peak: 2018 (4 births)
Meaning
What does Niko mean?
The name Niko is a diminutive form of the masculine given name Nicholas. It has Greek origins and is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which means "victor of the people" or "conquering the people". The name Nikolaos is comprised of the Greek words "nikos" meaning "victory" and "laos" meaning "people".
Niko has been a popular name throughout history, particularly in Europe and parts of the Middle East. It first gained widespread use during the Byzantine Empire, where the name Nicholas was commonly given to boys in honor of Saint Nicholas, the 4th-century Bishop of Myra (present-day Turkey). Saint Nicholas was renowned for his generosity and became the inspiration for the legendary figure of Santa Claus.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Niko can be found in the writings of the 9th-century Byzantine historian Theophanes the Confessor. He mentions a certain Niko, who was a member of the imperial guard during the reign of Emperor Michael II (820-829 AD).
In the Middle Ages, the name Niko was commonly used in various Slavic countries, such as Russia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. One notable figure was Niko of Ravanica, a 14th-century Serbian Orthodox monk and architect who designed and oversaw the construction of the Ravanica Monastery in central Serbia.
During the Renaissance period, the name Niko gained popularity in Italy. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Niko Pisano (c.1220-c.1278), an Italian sculptor and architect who was a pioneer of the Renaissance style in Italy. His son, Giovanni Pisano (c.1245-c.1314), was also a renowned sculptor and carried on his father's artistic legacy.
In the 20th century, several notable individuals bore the name Niko. Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) was a renowned Georgian primitivist painter, known for his unique style and depictions of daily life in Georgia. Niko Bellic, a fictional character from the popular video game series Grand Theft Auto IV, was a Serbian immigrant in Liberty City, voiced by actor Michael Hollick.
Other notable figures with the name Niko include Niko Kovač (born 1971), a Croatian former footballer and current manager; Niko Kranjčar (born 1984), a Croatian professional footballer; and Niko Nesterović (born 1973), a former professional basketball player from Serbia.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Niko over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Niko in England and Wales, from 1996 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 Niko, the clearest high point is 2022. The latest England and Wales figure is 77 births in 2024, compared with 78 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Niko by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Niko 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 | #565 | 344 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1110 | 262 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2306 | 70 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1808 | 18 | 3 |
Geography
Where Niko is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Niko. 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.
Niko ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #395 in 2023.
Across the UK
Niko in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#432 in 2024
8 years of NRS records, 60 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#395 in 2023
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Niko
- Noah 72,596
- Nathan 46,860
- Nicholas 15,983
- Nathaniel 12,151
- Niall 5,746
- Nicolas 3,825
- Nico 3,532
- Nate 2,029
- Nikodem 1,872
- Noel 1,865
- Ned 1,614
- Neo 1,563
FAQ
Niko: questions and answers
How popular is the name Niko in the UK right now?
In 2024, Niko was ranked #509 for boys in England and Wales, with 77 births registered.
When was Niko most popular?
The peak year on record was 2022, with 78 babies registered as Niko in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Niko?
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "victorious people".
How many people are called Niko in the UK?
A total of 694 babies have been registered as Niko across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 60 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Niko most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Niko ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #395 in 2023. 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.