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The short answer
Nico is a short form of Nicholas, or sometimes of Nicodemus, used across Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish and Portuguese. Behind the Name traces Nicholas to the Greek Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), "victory of the people," from νίκη (nike, "victory") and λαός (laos, "people"). It is pronounced NEE-koh. In the United States, Nico ranked #174 among boys' names in 2025 (Social Security Administration), reflecting its rise as a standalone name rather than only a nickname.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name describes Nico as a "short form of Nicholas (or sometimes Nicodemus)". The linked Nicholas entry gives the fuller etymology: from Greek Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), "victory of the people," built from νίκη (nike, "victory") and λαός (laos, "people"). Nicodemus itself was not in the cached source set for this pass, so its separate meaning is not verified here.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | nike | victory |
| Greek | laos | people |
Competing or overlapping origins
- Behind the Name also lists Nico as sometimes a short form of Nicodemus rather than Nicholas; Nicodemus's own meaning was not verified in this pass because it was not in the cached source set.
Popularity
Nico ranked #174 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to db/list-batch.mjs's SSA 2025 figures, matching the rank in the cached Behind the Name snapshot for the same year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #174 | ssa-2025 |
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Variants: Niko, Nick, Niek
Related names: Nicholas, Nicolas, Nikolaos
What the name feels like
Nico has the crisp, two-syllable ease of a nickname but is increasingly given on its own, giving it a casual, continental European feel distinct from the more formal Nicholas.
Style tags: short form, international, two syllables, casual
Editorial interpretation: This style read is editorial opinion. Behind the Name documents the short-form relationship and etymology, not a style classification.
If you like this name
Other short forms in the Nicholas family, or names built on the same "victory" root.
Similar by origin
- Niko
- Nick
- Niek
- Klaus
Similar by meaning
- Nikolai
- Nikita
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Nico mean?
Nico is a short form of Nicholas (sometimes Nicodemus). Nicholas traces to Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people," from nike ("victory") and laos ("people").
Is Nico short for Nicholas?
Usually, yes; Behind the Name lists it as a short form of Nicholas, and occasionally of Nicodemus.
Is Nico a popular name?
Yes. Nico ranked #174 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Nico — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants.
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Nicholas — supports etymology (root gloss).
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
