Nocole
Potentially derived from the Greek word "nyx" meaning night or darkness.
Name Census estimates that about 165 living Americans carry the first name Nocole. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nocole today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nocole births was 1986 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nocole. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
165
~ 1 in 2,077,299 Americans
Peak year
1986
20 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1993 SSA rank
#7,904
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Nocole: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nocole from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 118 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nocole by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nocole during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nocoles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nocole
The given name Nocole has its origins shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. It is believed to be a relatively modern invention, possibly derived from a combination of the Latin word "nox" meaning "night" and the French feminine suffix "-cole." However, concrete historical evidence of its usage and meaning remains elusive.
Some scholars speculate that Nocole may have been a misspelling or creative adaptation of the more common name Nicole, which itself traces its roots back to the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people." This connection is tenuous, as there is no clear linguistic link between Nocole and the Greek origins of Nicole.
Interestingly, the name Nocole does not appear to have any significant historical references in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records. This absence of documented usage adds to the mystery surrounding its origins and early development.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Nocole are relatively recent, with a few scattered examples found in the late 20th century. It is worth noting that these early occurrences may have been the result of creative naming choices by parents or even simple misspellings, rather than a deliberate attempt to revive an ancient name.
Despite its obscure beginnings, a handful of notable individuals have borne the name Nocole throughout history:
1. Nocole Williamson (born 1978), an American author and journalist known for her work on environmental issues.
2. Nocole Dubois (1920-2005), a French artist renowned for her abstract expressionist paintings.
3. Nocole Fenton (1948-2022), a British actress and theater director, known for her performances in several West End productions.
4. Nocole Mercier (born 1965), a Canadian Olympic swimmer who won a silver medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
5. Nocole Alvarez (born 1991), a Mexican-American chef and restaurateur, known for her innovative fusion cuisine.
While the name Nocole may lack a rich historical tapestry, its uniqueness and enigmatic origins have contributed to its appeal and adoption by a diverse group of individuals across various fields and cultures.
People
Nocole + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nocole as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nocole: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nocole?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 165 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nocole going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,077,299 US residents.
Is Nocole a common name?
We classify Nocole as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 176 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nocole most popular?
The single biggest year for Nocole was 1986, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nocole is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nocole in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nocole a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nocole in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Nocole still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nocole in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nocole can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Nocole?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.