Spelling comparison
Nico vs Niko
2025 US records for these exact spellings: Nico 2,096 and Niko 1,065. Nico’s share of that pair is 66.3%. The multiple is about 2.0 times the published count of Niko.
US national data through 2025 · Source retrieved
Data updated
The two spellings share a Little Names spelling key. Nico profile · Niko profile
Nico and Niko name the same child-name in two spellings. The tables below never merge those rows into a single total. Nico and Niko use the same number of letters, so the contrast is which letters appear. Nico uses “c” where Niko uses “k”, between “Ni” and “o”.
In years when both spellings were published, the lead changed 6 times. The latest crossover is 1988, when Nico moved ahead of Niko on the combined published count (101 to 80).
Nico is first published in these national files in 1960, and Niko in 1962. Nico’s larger 2025 category is male. Niko’s larger 2025 category is male. Nico led 7 decades among decades in which both spellings have a published total.
Inside 2016–2025, the widest combined gap was 1,031 records in 2025, and the closest year was 2016 (a gap of 190). Of the combined 2025 records for this pair (3,161), Nico is 66.3% and Niko is 33.7%.
2016–2025, count and rank
2016: Nico led 2016 by 190 published records (642 to 452). Nico and Niko stay separate rows; 642 and 452 are not a combined baby-name total. In 2017, Nico had 39 female records (rank #3,899) and 755 male records (rank #412); Niko had 16 female records (rank #7,339) and 507 male records (rank #549). Nico led 2017 by 271 published records (794 to 523). 2018 belongs to Nico. Nico had 33 female records (rank #4,319) and 844 male records (rank #382); Niko had 7 female records (rank #13,435) and 549 male records (rank #518). The gap that year was 321 records. For 2019, compare the categories separately: Nico had 44 female records (rank #3,538) and 929 male records (rank #356); Niko had 13 female records (rank #8,480) and 743 male records (rank #416). Nico led 2019 by 217 published records (973 to 756), and the smaller spelling is Niko. Nico was the higher published spelling in 2020, with 36 female records (rank #3,984) and 1,045 male records (rank #318) against 15 female records (rank #7,474) and 870 male records (rank #358) for Niko. The 2021 national file shows Nico led 2021 by 202 published records (1,394 to 1,192). Read as exact spellings: Nico had 35 female records (rank #4,151) and 1,359 male records (rank #259); Niko had 19 female records (rank #6,346) and 1,173 male records (rank #290). 2022: Nico led 2022 by 294 published records (1,506 to 1,212). Nico and Niko stay separate rows; 1,506 and 1,212 are not a combined baby-name total. In 2023, Nico had 34 female records (rank #4,258) and 1,468 male records (rank #240); Niko had 14 female records (rank #7,944) and 1,037 male records (rank #320). Nico led 2023 by 451 published records (1,502 to 1,051). 2024 belongs to Nico. Nico had 35 female records (rank #4,188) and 1,686 male records (rank #212); Niko had 17 female records (rank #6,857) and 1,004 male records (rank #344). The gap that year was 700 records. For 2025, compare the categories separately: Nico had 30 female records (rank #4,633) and 2,066 male records (rank #174); Niko had 19 female records (rank #6,269) and 1,046 male records (rank #325). Nico led 2025 by 1,031 published records (2,096 to 1,065), and the smaller spelling is Niko.
| Year | Nico female count | Nico female rank | Nico male count | Nico male rank | Niko female count | Niko female rank | Niko male count | Niko male rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 31 | 4,604 | 611 | 497 | 13 | 8,741 | 439 | 613 |
| 2017 | 39 | 3,899 | 755 | 412 | 16 | 7,339 | 507 | 549 |
| 2018 | 33 | 4,319 | 844 | 382 | 7 | 13,435 | 549 | 518 |
| 2019 | 44 | 3,538 | 929 | 356 | 13 | 8,480 | 743 | 416 |
| 2020 | 36 | 3,984 | 1,045 | 318 | 15 | 7,474 | 870 | 358 |
| 2021 | 35 | 4,151 | 1,359 | 259 | 19 | 6,346 | 1,173 | 290 |
| 2022 | 32 | 4,441 | 1,474 | 237 | 20 | 6,154 | 1,192 | 287 |
| 2023 | 34 | 4,258 | 1,468 | 240 | 14 | 7,944 | 1,037 | 320 |
| 2024 | 35 | 4,188 | 1,686 | 212 | 17 | 6,857 | 1,004 | 344 |
| 2025 | 30 | 4,633 | 2,066 | 174 | 19 | 6,269 | 1,046 | 325 |
Combined counts, 1880–2025
Each line adds the published female and male counts for that spelling. A gap is a year with no published observation, not a zero. Nico is the warm line and Niko is the cool line.
Which spelling led each decade
Nico was the 1960s leader, 84 published records against 45 for Niko. The 1970s files give 246 published records to Nico and 211 to Niko, so Nico led the decade. Nico was the 1980s leader, 545 published records against 334 for Niko. The 1990s files give 2,187 published records to Nico and 1,548 to Niko, so Nico led the decade. Nico was the 2000s leader, 3,147 published records against 1,997 for Niko. The 2010s files give 6,813 published records to Nico and 4,574 to Niko, so Nico led the decade. Nico was the 2020s leader, 9,300 published records against 6,426 for Niko.
Top states in 2025
Nico’s highest 2025 state counts, combining published female and male rows where both exist, are California (328), New York (165), Texas (164), New Jersey (124), Florida (120). Niko’s highest 2025 state counts, combining published female and male rows where both exist, are California (185), Texas (88), New York (68), Florida (63), Pennsylvania (46). California, New York, Texas are in the top states for both spellings. A state can rank differently for each spelling because the counts are not merged.