Nicholas

For other uses, see Nicholas (disambiguation).

Nicholas
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/Name	Greek
Meaning	Victory of the people
Other names
Nickname(s)	Nick, Nicky, Nic, Nik
Derived	Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), a combination of Greek words "Victory" (Νίκη; nikē) and "People" (λαὸς; laos)

Nicholas

Miklos

Mikołaj

Mikuláš

Nicola

Nicolas

Nicolau

Nicolay

Niccolò

Nikola

Nikolay

Nikolaj

Klaus

Nick

Nico

Nicholas or Nikolas is a male given name, derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), a combination of the words for "victory" (νίκη; níkē) and "people" (λαὸς; laós). The name can be understood to mean victory of the people or "power of the people". In addition, "laos" or "λαὸς" in Greek, originates from the word root "-las", as found in the word "λα-τομεῑο" meaning "stone" or "rock" (in Greek Mythology, Deucalion and Pyrrha recreated the people after they had vanished in a catastrophic deluge, by throwing stones behind their shoulders while they kept marching on). The name became popular through Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, the inspiration for Santa Claus. The customary English version of spelling "Nicholas", using an "h", first came into use in the 12th century and has been firmly established since the Reformation, though "Nicolas" is occasionally used. In 2006, Nicholas – and its variations – was the 17th most popular male name given to babies in the USA. Roughly 0.7151% of the baby boys born that year, or 15,414, were given that name. It is decreasing in popularity, from a high in 1997, when 27,248 US males were given the name Nicholas. That year was the most popular year for Nicholas since 1880, when U.S. records were kept for given names.^[1]

The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its derivatives are especially popular in maritime regions, as St. Nicholas is considered the protector saint of seafarers.

Male variations

Variations for males include^[2]:

• Albanian: Nikollë, Nikolla, Nikë, Klaus, Koll, Kolë
• Arabic: نقولا‎
• Basque: Nikola
• Belarusian: Mikalai (Мікалай), Nikolai (Николай), Kolya (Коля), Mikola (Мікола)
• Bulgarian: Никола (Nikola), Николай (Nikolay), Никлен (Niklen), Никулица (Nikùlitsa), Коле (Kole), Кольо (Kolyo), Колю (Kolyu)
• Catalan: Nicolau
• Chinese: Quēkǒu, Ní-jī, Nígǔlāsī
• Croatian: Nikola, Nikula, Mikola, Mikac, Mika, Nikić, Niko, Mikula
• Czech: Mikoláš, Mikuláš, Nikola
• Danish: Claus, Klaus, Niels, Nicolai, Nicklaus, Nikolaus, Nikolaj, Nilaus, Nis, Nikolas
• Dutch: Nicolaas, Nikolaas, Klaas, Nico, Niek, Niels
• English: Nicholas, Nikolas, Colin
• Esperanto: Niĉjo, Niko, Nikolao
• Estonian: Nigul
• Fijian: Niko
• Finnish: Launo, Niilo, Niklas, Niko
• French: Nicolas, Nico, Colas, Colin
• Galician: Nicolao
• Georgian: ნიკოლოზ-ი (Nikoloz), ნიკო (Niko)
• German: Claus, Claas, Klaas, Klaus, Klas, Nickolaus, Nicolas, Nicolaus, Niklaus, Nikolaus, Nikolo, Niklas, Nico, Niko
• Greek: Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), Νικόλας (Nikolas), Νίκος (Nikos), Νικολής (Nikolis), Νικήτας (Niketas)
• Hungarian: Miklós, Nikola, Nyikoláj
• Irish: Nioclás
• Italian: Niccolò, Nico, Nicola, Nicolò, Nicolas
• Japanese: ニコラス (Nikorasu), Nikku, Nikkii
• Korean: Nig, Niki, Nikollaseu
• Latin: Nicolaus
• Latvian: Nikolass, Nikolajs, Niks
• Lithuanian: Mikalojus
• Leonese language: Nicolás, Nicu, Colás
• Low German: Nikolaas, Nicolaas, Klaas, Klaus
• Macedonian: Никола (Nikola), Коле (Kole), Кољо (Koljo), Николче (Nikolče), Николе (Nikole)
• Malay: Nikk
• Norwegian: Niels
• Polish: Mikołaj, Mik, Mikolajek
• Portuguese: Nicolau
• Romanian: Neculai, Nicolae, Nicu, Nicușor, Niculae
• Russian: Николай (Nikolai), Коля (Kolya)
• Scottish Gaelic: Neacel, Nichol, Nicol, Caelan, Calen
• Serbian: Никола (Nikola), Николај (Nikolaj), Никша (Nikša), Николица (Nikolica), Никшица (Nikšica), Нико (Niko), Никица (Nikica)
• Slovak: Mikuláš, Nikola, Mikoláš
• Slovene: Miklavž, Niko, Nikolaj
• Spanish: Nicolás, Nicolao
• Swedish: Nels, Niklas, Niclas, Nicklas, Nils, Klas, Claes
• Taiwanese (Traditional Chinese): Quēkǒu, Ní-jī, Nígǔlāsī
• Turkish: Nikola
• Ukrainian: Микола (Mykola), Миколай (Mykolai)
• West Frisian: Klaes

Female forms

Female forms include^[2]:

• Bulgarian: Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta), Никол (Nikol), Нина (Nina)
• Croatian: Nikolina, Nika, Nina
• Czech: Nikol, Nikoleta, Nikola, Nicol
• Dutch: Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline
• Danish: Nikoline
• English: Nicole/Nichole/Nicolle/Nikole/Nikkole, Nicola/Nichola, Nicolette, Colette, Nicky/Nikki/Nicci
• French: Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline
• German: Nicole, Nikole, Nicola, Nikola
• Greek: Νίκη (Níkē, a conflation with Níke), Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), Νικολίνα (Νikolína)
• Hungarian: Nikolett
• Italian: Nicoletta, Nicla, Nicole, Nicolina
• Macedonian: Nikolina
• Portuguese: Nicole
• Romanian: Niculina, Nicoleta, Nicolina, Nico
• Scottish^{[disambiguation needed ]}: Nicola
• Serbian: Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta
• Slovak: Nikola
• Slovene: Nika
• Spanish: Nicolasa, Nikoletta, Nicolá
• Turkish: Nikol

People known as Nicholas

• Nicholas of Cusa
• Nicholas I of Montenegro, King of Montenegro
• Nicholas I of Russia
• Nicholas II of Russia
• Nicholas of Tolentino
• Nicholas is also the name of five popes (Pope Nicholas I, Pope Nicholas II, Pope Nicholas III, Pope Nicholas IV, and Pope Nicholas V), Antipope Nicholas V and four Patriarchs of Constantinople of which best known are Nicholas Mystikos, and Nicholas III Grammatikos
• Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒，born 1980), Hong Kong singer and actor.
• Nicholas "Nick" Clegg (born 1967), British politician
• Nick Jonas (born 1992), Singer & Songwriter
• Nicholas Charles Sparks (born 1965), American novelist, screenwriter
• Nicholas Sparks (politician) (1794-1862), American politician.

Saints

• Santa Claus — equivalent of St. Nicholas
• Saint Nicholas The Duc Bui, one of the Vietnamese Martyrs
• Saint Nicholas of Flue
• Saint Nicholas of Japan
• Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Sinterklaas

See also

• Nikola
• Nikolaos

References

1. ^ US Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
2. ^ ^{a b} Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of First Names