How to say it
NI · co
/ˈniː.koʊ/
Masculine
Nico
Victory
What it means
Short for Nicholas/Nicolas/Nikolaos (Greek 'victory of the people'). Nico (born Christa Päffgen, 1938-1988), the Velvet Underground singer, used the name as a stage name and gave it counterculture currency.
Nico started as a short form for any name beginning with Nik- (Nicholas, Nicolas, Niccolò, Nicodemus), all from the Greek nikē ('victory'). It graduated to a standalone given name in the 20th century. Nico (born Christa Päffgen, 1938-1988), the Velvet Underground singer associated with The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), used Nico as a single-name stage name and gave the name counterculture cool. The English-speaking US picked up Nico in the 2000s, particularly in Italian-American and Latino families. It entered the US top 300 in 2019. Single short forms aren't common — Nico is already a short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #174 in 2025, currently #174 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Nico the Velvet Underground singer is the counterculture anchor; the name now stands on its own in modern usage.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Nico (singer) German-born singer Christa Päffgen, the Velvet Underground & Nico, 1938-1988
Spelling variants
- Niko
- Nicholas