What does Filippo mean?
Filippo is the Italian form of Philip, “lover of horses.”
What does Nicola mean?
Nicola is the Italian form of Nicholas — a boys’ name in Italy, “victory of the people.”
Filippo vs Nicola
Which is more popular?
Nicola is more popular than Filippo today: about 28 US babies were given the name Nicola in 2025, compared with 12 named Filippo.
| Filippo | Nicola | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lover of horses | Victory of the people |
| Origin | Italian | Italian |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | fee-LEEP-poh | nee-KOH-lah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1915 | 1908 |
| Peak year | 2024 (22) | 1972 (53) |
| In 2025 | 12 | 28 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Filippo
Nicola
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Filippo | Nicola |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 90 | 190 |
| 2010s | 118 | 245 |
| 2000s | 128 | 349 |
| 1990s | 93 | 413 |
| 1980s | 92 | 320 |
| 1970s | 132 | 441 |
| 1960s | 40 | 335 |
| 1950s | 5 | 159 |
| 1940s | 0 | 84 |
| 1930s | 0 | 85 |
| 1920s | 0 | 188 |
| 1910s | 11 | 197 |
| 1900s | 0 | 6 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Filippo or Nicola more popular?
Nicola is more popular than Filippo today: about 28 US babies were given the name Nicola in 2025, compared with 12 named Filippo.
What is the difference between Filippo and Nicola?
Filippo means Lover of horses (Italian origin), while Nicola means Victory of the people (Italian origin).
Which name is older, Filippo or Nicola?
In US records, Filippo first appears in 1915 and Nicola in 1908, so Nicola has the longer recorded history.