The name itself started being used less and less but not because of its association with Ceausescu. It's seen as an old fashioned name (kinda like you would see a
Walter or a
Gerald in English speaking countries).
Both names (
Nicolae and
Elena) are more associated with the respective saints than the dictator couple.
You have an interesting trend in Romania in terms of naming...my grandma's generation was full of
Ana,
Maria and
Elena's. Then a generation came that was more into
Andreas, Cristinas and Alexandras. Now you have a 'return to the roots' movement if you like, where
Ana,
Maria and
Elena are back "in".
In terms of boys, biblical names that have never been 'in' in the past (except for small pockets of the country) are all the rage now. So now you see
David,
Thomas,
Luca,
Matei where in the past you would have seen
Ioan,
Vasile and
Nicolae.
So my take on things...people stay away from
Nicolae because it feels dusty and old, not necessarily because of the association (though of course that will always have some small part in it).
Hope this helps a bit.