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Nicanor
How to Pronounce Nicanor
Pronounced nee-kah-NOR /nikaˈnɔr/Medium
Meaning: Nicanor is a Greek name from nike, victory, and aner or andros, man, meaning victorious man; it appears in the Bible as one of the seven deacons in Acts and is also used in Spanish-speaking countries.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Nicanor carries a biblical anchor as one of the seven deacons chosen by the early church in the Acts of the Apostles, which helped carry it into Christian, and especially Hispanic, tradition.
In United States records Nicanor was always rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year around 1982, though it appeared steadily over a long span into recent years. A boy named Nicanor at that peak would be in his forties today. It remains a recognizable name in Greek and Spanish-speaking communities.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Nicanor Parra (1914-2018)Chilean poet and physicist known for antipoetry
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Nicanor mean?
It is a Greek name meaning victorious man, from nike, victory, and aner, man; it is also a biblical name.
How do you pronounce Nicanor?
It is said nee-kah-NOR /nikaˈnɔr/, three syllables with the stress on the last.
Is Nicanor a boy or girl name?
Nicanor is a boy's name.
How popular is Nicanor?
In the United States it has always been rare, given to only a couple dozen boys a year around the early nineteen-eighties, often in Spanish-speaking families.