Origin: Greek
Meaning: “victory of the people.”

Today is St. Nicholas Day! So, I thought, what a perfect opportunity to blog about the name Nicholas and all his myriad variations.

This is an update of a post I wrote three years ago in December. I thought I would rerun it with some updates.

The name is derived from the Greek, Νικόλαος, (Nikolaos), which is composed of the Greek words νικη (níkē), meaning, “victory” and λαὸς (laos), meaning, “people.” λαὸς (laos) could also derive from the Greek root word, λας (-las) as in “λα-τομεῑο“, which means, “stone” “rock”, as in Greek mythology it was believed that all humans were formed from the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrah threw over their shoulders as they were running.

In the post-Christian world, the name Nicholas was popularized through the cult of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, (the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus). He was known for his acts of charity toward the poor, the most popular story being that he saved a local poor man’s daughters from lives of prostitution by dropping gold nuggets down the man’s chimney so that the man could pay for his debts instead of selling his daughters.

St. Nicholas is a very popular saint in both the Eastern and Western Churches.

The name was introduced into England in the form of Nicholas, though the sans H version has also its share of usage in the Anglophone world. Nicholas first came into usage in England around the 12th-century and remained common even through the period of the Reformation. Currently, Nicholas is the 42nd most popular male name for boys in the United States, (2011). His rankings in all his various forms in other countries are as follows:

• # 1 (Nika/Nikoloz(i), Georgia, 2011)
• # 3 (Nikola, Macedonia, 2006)
• # 3 (Nikola, Serbia, 2011)
• # 5 (Nikolay, Bulgaria, 2009)
• # 5 (Nikolaos, Greece, 2010)
• # 6 (Nicolás, Argentina, 2009)
• # 9 (Nicolás, Columbia, 2011)
• # 9 (Nicolás, Mexico, 2011)
• # 15 (Nicholas/Nick/Nicholai/Nicoló, Malta, 2011)
• # 16 (Mikołaj, Poland, 2009)
• # 22 (Nicolò, Italy, 2010)
• # 22 (Nicolas, Spain, 2010)
• # 24 (Niklas, Austria, 2010)
• # 27 (Nikola, Croatia, 2009)
• # 29 (Nicolas, Belgium, 2008)
• # 31 (Nikolaj, Denmark, 2011)
• # 36 (Australia, NSW, 2011)
• # 36 (Canada, BC, 2010)
• # 45 (Nikolai, Norway, 2011)
• # 51 (Nicolas, Catalonia, 2010)
• # 56 (Nicolas, Austria, 2010)
• # 69 (Nicolas, France, 2010)
• # 72 (Miklós, Hungary, 2011)
• # 75 (New Zealand, 2010)
• # 82 (Nikola, Slovenia, 2010)
• # 93 (Niklas, Norway, 2011)
• # 94 (Nikola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)
• # 168 (Nicolas, United States, 2011)
• # 181 (Scotland, 2010)
• # 332 (Nicolaas, Netherlands, 2011)
• # 451 (Nicolas, Netherlands, 2011)
• # 473 (Nikolas, United States, 2011)
• # 550 (Nickolas, United States, 2011)
• # 639 (Nikolai, United States, 2011)

Other forms of the name include the following, (divided alphabetically by linguistic origin):

Latinate Forms
Variations used in Latin languages

• Micolau (Catalan)
• Nicolau (Catalan/Galician/Occitanian/Portuguese)
• Niculaiu (Corsican)
• Nicoty (Brusseler: a French dialect)
• Colin (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name, not to be confused with the Celtic Colin/Collin which has a completely different etymology and pronunciation)
• Nicolas/Nico (French: diminutive forms are Colas, Coliche, Colineau, Coya, Koni, Nic, Nico and Nikko)
• Coletto/Colino (Italian: obscure)
• Niccola/Nicola (Italian: Cola is a diminutive form)
• Nicolai (Italian)
• Nicolao (Italian)
• Niccolò/Niccolo/Nicolò (Italian)
• Nicoletto (Italian: obscure)
• Niccolino/Nicolino (Italian: obscure)
• Nico (Italian/Romanian/Spanish: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name)
• Nicolás/Colás (Leonese)
• Nicu (Leonese/Romanian: originally diminutive forms, used as independent given names)
• Nicolaus (Late Latin)
• Nicolinus (Late Latin)
• Neculai/Nicolae/Niculae (Romanian: diminutive form is Nicoară)
• Nicușor (Romanian: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
• Clà/Clau (Romansch)
• Niclà/Nicolà/Niculin (Romansch)
• Nigola (Sardinian)
• Nicolao/Nicolás (Spanish)

Feminine forms ares

• Nicolaua (Catalan)
• Colette (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name)
• Coline (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name. The name also coincides with the French word for hill. Diminutive form is Colinette)
• Nicole (French)
• Nicolette (French: originally a diminutive form of Nicole, now exclusively used as an independent given name)
• Nicoline (French)
• Nicolasa (Galician/Spanish)
• Nicoletta (Italian)
• Nicolina (Italian)
• Nicoleta (Romanian)
• Nicolina/Niculina (Romanian)
• Nicoleta/Nicolá (Spanish)

Germanic Forms
Variations used in Germanic based languages

• Nikolaus (Afrikaans/Old Dutch)
• Claus/Klaus/Niels (Danish: originally diminutive forms but used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nicolai/Nikolaus/Nikolaj (Danish)
• Nilaus/Nis (Danish)
• Nicolaas/Nikolaas (Dutch)
• Klaas/Nico/Niek/Niels (Dutch: Originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nicholas/Nicolas (English: diminutive forms include: Cole, Nat, Nick and Nicky)
• Niklas/Niklái (Faroese)
• Niklaas (Flemmish)
• Klaas/Klaes (Frisian)
• Nickel/Nickels (Frisian)
• Claus/Claas/Klaas/Klaus/Klas (German: originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)
• Nickolaus/Nicolas/Nicolaus/ Niklaus/Nikolaus/Niklas (German)
• Nico/Niko (German)
• Neikaulaus (Gothic)
• Néckel/Kleeschen/Klos (Lexumburgish)
• Klaos (Limburgish)
• Nikolaas/Nicolaas (Low Saxon)
• Nicolai/Nikolai (Norwegian)
• Niels (Norwegian)
• Nickel (Plattdeutsch)
• Michlaus (Swabian)
• Niclas/Nicklas/Niklas (Swedish)
• Nels/Nils (Swedish)
• Klas/Claes (Swedish)
• Chlaus/Glaus (Swiss-German)

Germanic feminine forms are:

• Nikoline (Danish)
• Klasina/Klazina (Dutch)
• Nicole (Dutch/English/German: a borrowing from the French, very popular in the 1980s in German-speaking countries, English-speaking countries, as well as in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. In 1980, Nicole was the 7th most popular female name in the United States)
• Nicolet (Dutch: a bastardization of the French, Nicolette)
• Nicolien/Nicoline (Dutch)
• Nicola/Nichola (English: a name that was particularly popular in Great Britain in the 70s and 80s, not to be confused with the masculine versions which are separate evolutions. This is pronounced NIK-uh-lah, and is most likely a feminization of the Scottish Nichol)
• Nikolina (Faroese)
• Nikólína (Icelandic)

Slavic Forms
Forms used in Slavonic languages

• Mikalai Мікалай (Belarusian)
• Nikola(y)/Niklen Никола/Николай/Никлен (Bulgarian: diminutive forms are: Kole, Kolyo, Kolyu and Nikùlitza).
• Nikola/Niko (Croatian: Nikša and Nikica are diminutive forms)
• Mikoláš/Mikuláš (Czech: short form is Mikula )
• Nikola (Macedonian: diminutive forms are Kole and Nikolče nee-KOL-che)
• Mikołaj (Polish: diminutive forms are Kola, Mikcio, Mik, Mikołajek, Miki, Miko, Mikoś, Mikuś, Misza, Nicz, Niki and Niko)
• Nikolai Николай (Russian: Kolya and Nikita are diminutive forms)
• Nikola Никола (Serbian)
• Mikoláš/Mikuláš (Slovakian)
• Nikolas (Slovakian)
• Nikita (Slovakian: a borrowing from the Russian, sometimes used as an independent given name in Slovakia)
• Miklavž/Niko/Nikolaj (Slovene)
• Mikławš/Klaws (Sorbian)
• Mykola Микола/Mykolai Миколай (Ukrainian)

Feminine forms are:

• Nikoleta/Nikolina Николина/Николета (Bulgarian)
• Nikolina/Nika/Nina (Croatian)
• Nikoleta (Czech/Polish/Slovakian)
• Nikola (Czech/Polish/Slovakian: currently very popular in all three countries)
• Nikol (Czech/Polish: a corruption of the French, Nicole, and is a relatively recent form in the Czech Republic and Poland and is also rapidly increasing in popularity)
• Nikolina (Czech/Polish)
• Mikuláška (Slovakian: obscure)
• Nika/Nikolaja (Slovene)

Celtic Forms
Forms used in Celtic Countries

• Nikolaz/Nikolazig (Breton)
• Nikolas (Cornish)
• Cóilín (Irish)
• Nicolás/Nioclás (Irish)
• Neacel/Nichol/Nicol (Scottish)
• Niclas (Welsh)

Baltic Forms
Forms used in the Baltic

• Klaus/Laas/Laus (Estonian)
• Nigol/Nigulas/Nigul (Estonian)
• Niilas/Niilo/Niilu (Estonian)
• Niklas/Nikolai/Niko (Estonian)
• Nikita (Estonian: a borrowing from the Russian, occasionally used as an independent given name)
• Nil/Nillo/Nilo/Nils/Nilus (Estonian)
• Launo/Niilo/Niklas/Niko (Finnish)
• Nikolajs/Niks/Nils (Latvian)
• Klavs/Niklavs (Latvian)
• Mikalojus/Mikas/Nikalojus (Lithuanian)
• Miklay Миклай (Mari)
• Mikuk Микук (Mari)
• Mikus Микуш (Mari)
• Nibá (Saami)
• Nigá/Nigo (Saami)
• Nihkke/Nihkko (Saami)
• Niillas/Nilá/Nillá/Nilsa (Saami)

Feminine forms are:

• Nikolė (Lithuanian)
• Nikoleta/Nikoletė (Lithuanian)

Other Forms
Forms used in other languages

• Nikolla/Nikollë/Koll/Kol (Albanian)
• Nikolas ኒኮላስ (Amharic/Ethiopian)
• Nikoghayos Նիկողայոս/Nikoghos o Նիկողոս (Armenian)
• Nikola (Basque)
• Mikulay/Mikuҫ Микулай, Микуҫ (Chuvash)
• Nikolaus/Niqwela/Niqewlawes نيقولاوس (Coptic/Lebanese/Syriac)
• Niko (Fijian)
• Nikoloz ნიკოლოზ (Georgian)
• Nikolaos Νικόλαος/Nikolas Νικόλας/Nikos Νίκος /Nikolis Νικολής (Greek Modern)
• Niilsi/Niisi (Greenlandic)
• Nikku/Nikkulaat (Greenlandic)
• Miklós/Nikola (Hungarian)
• Nikku/ Nikkii/Nikorasu (Japanese)
• Nikola (Maltese)

Feminine forms are as follows:

• Níkē Νίκη/Nikoléta Νικολέτα/Νikolína Νικολίνα (Greek: modern)
• Nikkuliina/Nikkuliit (Greenlandic)
• Nikolett (Hungarian)