Nixon
Masculine · “son of Nick”
Nixon is given to both — 7,389 boys and 339 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Nixon began as a family name along the Anglo-Scottish border, built the plainest way English builds names: Nick's son. Behind that Nick stands Nicholas, one of the most traveled names in Europe, so this short two-beat surname sits at the end of a very long line. It has since become a given name in its own right in the United States, and among Spanish-speaking families in the Americas.
How old is the name Nixon?
Nixon first appears in US birth records in 1917 — 108 years ago. The typical Nixon is a kid of about 8 — this name's wave is very recent. About 7,200 people named Nixon are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Nixon most popular?
Nixon peaked in 2017, reaching #482 nationally. Today it ranks #1060, 578 places below that high. See the whole 2017 chart.
Nixon appears on these lists:
Where it comes from
From Nikolaos to Nixon
The story of Nixon
Nixon is a patronymic surname from northern England and the Scottish borders, formed from Nick — the everyday short form of Nicholas — plus the possessive -s and 'son'. Nicholas arrived in Britain with the medieval cult of Saint Nicholas of Myra and became so common that it spawned a whole family of surnames: Nixon, Nickson, Nicholson, Nicolson. The Nixons were among the border families recorded in Liddesdale in the sixteenth century, and the name later crossed the Atlantic with emigration from Ulster and the border counties. Its move from surname to first name is an American development, part of the broader habit of turning family names into given ones.
Meaning
son of Nick — that is, son of Nicholas
Nicholas itself comes from Greek Nikolaos, from nikē 'victory' and laos 'people', so the older layer of meaning is 'victory of the people'.
How the name formed
- Nikolaos
- Nicholas
- Nick
- Nixon
Related forms: Nickson · Nicholson · Nicolson
Pronouncing Nixon
NIK-sun
Two syllables, stress on the first. Spelled as it sounds, and Spanish speakers say it much the same way.
Nicknames for Nixon
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1917
- Most boys named
- 2017607 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #482reached in 2017
- Change vs 2024
- −26.2%206 in 2025, from 279
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Nixon in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Nickson in English — spelling variant
- Nicholson in English — related form
- Nicolson in Scots — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Utah, Texas.
Nixons among us
people named Nixon are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 8,292 born in 2025 was named Nixon
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Deonte test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Nixon's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Deonte climbed just as high around 1994, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Deonte's path sketches the road Nixon is walking now.
Nixon sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Nixon is headed
Nixon is easing off slowly — about 21% fewer babies a year by 2030 if the trend continues.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Nixon beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Nixon in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Spelling almost never needs explaining — anyone who can spell the surname can spell the name.
- Sits comfortably in the familiar -on pattern of American boys' names while staying uncommon in any one classroom.
- Carries Nicholas inside it, which puts Nick and Nix within easy reach as short forms.
- Works in both English and Spanish without adjustment, which matters in the states where it is strongest.
- The first association for many adults will be Richard Nixon, the only US president to resign the office. Younger people often make no connection at all, but the link is real and worth being ready for.
- Because it reads as a surname, some people will assume it is one and ask for the first name — the ordinary cost of every surname-turned-given-name.
- It sits close to a crowded set of similar-sounding modern names, so it may be mistaken for one of its neighbors on first hearing.
- The name's use as a first name is recent, so most Nixons alive are still children — there are few grown men wearing it yet.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Nixon to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Nixon? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Nixon
Masculine · #1060 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Nixons are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 7,200 people named Nixon are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Nixon in 2025?
- Nixon ranks #1060 among US boy names in 2025, with 206 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Nixon?
- About 1 in every 8,292 US boys born in 2025 was named Nixon — 206 in all.
- Will my child share the name Nixon with classmates?
- Nixon will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Nixon
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Zakari#1060 · Henrik#1060 · Alaric#1063 · Rishi#1056 · Neo#1064 · Dash#1056 · Ismail#1064 · Ollie#1056
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Nixon? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Nixon and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle