Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek , . It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In turn, the name means "victory of the people."
The name has been widely used in countries with significant Christian populations, owing in part to the veneration of Saint Nicholas, which became increasingly prominent in Western Europe from the 11th century. Revered as a saint in many Christian denominations, the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican Churches all celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. In maritime regions throughout Europe, the name and its derivatives have been especially popular, as St Nicholas is considered the protector saint of seafarers. This remains particularly so in Greece, where St Nicholas is the patron saint of the Hellenic Navy.
Origins The name derives from the . It is understood to mean 'victory of the people', being a compound of two Greek words, , 'victory'. and , 'people'.. An ancient paretymology (a false etymology) of the latter element, , is that it originates from , (a contracted form of , ), meaning 'stone' or 'rock'.. This is in reference to the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha from Greek mythology. As the sole survivors of a catastrophic deluge, they were able to repopulate the world by throwing stones behind them, over their shoulders, while they kept marching on. The stones formed men and women where they landed.
The name became popular through Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, the inspiration for Santa Claus, but it predates said bishop by several centuries: the Athenian historian Thucydides for example, mentions that in the second year of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) between Sparta and Athens, the Spartans sent a delegation to the Persian king to ask for his help to fight the Athenians; a certain Nikolaos was one of the delegates. At the Perseus Project digital library.
The customary English spelling Nicholas, using a ch, as though the word were spelled in Greek with a chi, first came into use in the 12th century and has been firmly established since the Reformation, although the spelling Nicolas is occasionally used.
In Scotland, until the late nineteenth century, fishing communities used Nicholas as a female name. For an example of such use for females, see this description of a 1754 case of an executed woman, Nicholas Cockburn:
Male variations Variations for males include:
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Female forms
Female forms include:
Bulgarian: Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta), Никол (Nikol), Нина (Nina) Czech: Nikol, Nikoleta, Nikola, Nicol Dutch: Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline Danish: Nikoline English: Nicole/Nichole, Nicola/Nichola French: Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline, Cosette German: Nikol, Nikole, Nikola, Nicole, Nicola Greek: Νίκη (Níkē, a conflation with Níke), Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), Νικολίνα (Νikolína) Hungarian: Nikolett Indonesian: Nicole, Niki, Nicola Italian: Nicoletta, Nicole, Nicolina Macedonian: Николина (Nikolina) Norwegian: Nilsine, Nicoline Polish: Nikola Portuguese: Nicole Romanian: Niculina, Nicoleta Scottish: Nicola, Nicholas (Lowlands 18th/19th century) Serbo-Croatian: Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta Slovak: Nikola, Nikoleta Slovene: Nika Spanish: Nicol, Nicoleta, Nicoletta, Nikol, Nicole.
People known as Nicholas
Single name (rulers, popes, patriarch and antipopes) Antipope Nicholas V Nicholas I of Russia Nicholas II of Russia Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš (1840–1921) King of Montenegro Patriarchs of Constantinople, of which the best known are Nicholas Mystikos and Nicholas III Grammatikos Prince Nicholas of Romania (1903–1978) Pope Nicholas I Pope Nicholas II Pope Nicholas III Pope Nicholas IV Pope Nicholas V
Given name Nicholas Abercrombie (born 1944), English academic and sociologist Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe (1719–1794), Ceylonese–Dutch colonial administrator Nicholas Abram (1589–1655), French Jesuit and theologian Nicholas Yaw Boafo Adade (1927–2013), Ghanaian judge Nicholas Adams, several people Nicholas Addlery (born 1981), Jamaican soccer player Nicholas Agar (born 1965), New Zealand professor Nicholas Alahverdian (born 1987), American sex offender Nicholas Albery (1948–2001), English author and social inventor Nicholas Alexander, several people Nicholas Alexis, Trinidadian cricketer Nicholas Alipui, Ghanaian humanitarian Nicholas Alkemade (1922–1987) British tail gunner Nicholas Allard (born 1952), American attorney Nicholas Allenby (1909–1995), English Anglican clergyman Nicholas Amankwah (born 1984), Ghanaian politician Nicholas R. Amato (born 1940), American politician Nicholas Ambraseys (1929–2012), Greek engineering seismologist Nicholas Amhurst (1697–1742), English poet and political writer Nicholas Ammeter (born 2000), Swiss soccer player Nicholas Amoako (born 1997), Ghanaian soccer player Nicholas Amponsah (born 1997), Ghanaian soccer player Nicholas Anderson, several people Nicholas Angelich (1970–2022), American pianist Nicholas Angell (born 1979), American ice hockey player Nicholas Archibald (born 1975), Scottish cricketer Nicholas Arciniaga (born 1983), American long-distance runner Nicholas Armstrong (born 1975), English cricketer Nicholas Armstrong (born 2001), American Youtuber also known as Sapnap Nicholas Arnesson (ca. 1150 – 1225), Norwegian bishop and nobleman Nicholas Arnold, several people Nicholas Art (born 1999), American former child actor Nicholas Asbury (born 1971), British actor and author Nicholas Anthony Ascioti (born 1974), American composer and conductor Nicholas Ashmore (born 1961), British military officer Nicholas Ashton (1904–1986), English cricketer Nicholas Asmussen (1871–1941), German–born Canadian politician and building contractor Nicholas Asselta (born 1951), American politician Nicholas Ayache (born 1958), French computer scientist Nicholas Bacon (disambiguation), several people Nicholas Bagenal (c. 1509–1591), English soldier and politician Nicholas Baptiste (born 1995), Haitian–Canadian ice hockey player Nicholas Barbon (c. 1640 – c. 1698), English economist, physician, and financial speculator Nicholas Barré (1621–1686), French Catholic priest Nicholas Basbanes (born 1943), American author Nicholas Bayard (1644–1707), Dutch–born American slave trader Nicholas Bayard (theologian) (fl. 1300?), Dominican theologian Nicholas Baylies (1768–1847), American judge, lawyer, and politician Nicholas "Nick" Becker (born 2006), American baseball player Nicholas Bell, English actor Nicholas Benavides (born 2001), Hong Kong soccer player Nicholas Bennett (disambiguation), several people Nicholas Benois (1813–1898), Russian architect Nicholas F. Benton (born 1944), American publisher Nicholas Berliner, American diplomat Nicholas Bett (1992–2018), Kenyan hurdler Nicholas Kiptanui Bett (born 1996), Kenyan steeplechase runner Nicholas Biddle (1786–1844), American financier and the last president of the Second Bank of the United States Nicholas Bignall (born 1990), English soccer player Nicholas Bilokapic (born 2002), Australian soccer player Nicholas Binge (born 1990), Singaporean–born British author Nicholas Bingham (born 1945), English mathematician Nicholas Biwott (1940–2017), Kenyan businessman, philanthropist, and politician Nicholas Blain, Australian economist Nicholas Blake (disambiguation), several people Nicholas Blechman, American illustrator and graphic designer Nicholas Blincoe (born 1965), English author, critic, and screenwriter Nicholas Blomley (born 1962), English–Canadian professor and legal geographer Nicholas Bloom (born 1973), British–American economist and professor Nicholas Bodman (1913–1997), American linguist Nicholas Bonneville (1760–1828), French bookseller, journalist, printer, and writer Nicholas Bonsor (1942–2023), English politician Nicholas Boyle (born 1946), English academic and literary critic Nicholas Bradanovich (1907–1961), New Zealand rugby union player Nicholas F. Brady (born 1930), American banker and politician Nicholas Braun (born 1988), American actor Nicholas Brendon (born 1971), American actor and writer Nicholas Breton (c. 1545/53 – c. 1625/6), poet and prose writer of the English Renaissance Nicholas Briggs (born 1961), English actor, composer, director, and writer Nicholas Briot (1579–1646), medallist, coin engraver, and mechanical engineer Nicholas Britell (born 1980), American actor Nicholas Brodszky (1905–1958), Russian–Ukrainian composer Nicholas Brooks, several people Nicholas Brown, several people Nicholas Bruckman, English–American documentarian Nicholas Bubwith (1355-1424), English Bishop Nicholas Buckland (born 1989), English ice dancer Nicholas Budgen (1937–1998), English politician Nicholas Budgeon (born 1987), Australian field hockey player Nicholas Bullen (born 1968), English musician Nicholas Bullingham (c. 1520–1576), English cleric and bishop Nicholas Bundock (born 1973), Scottish Anglican bishop Nicholas Burns, several people Nicholas Burtner, American permaculturist Nicholas Calabrese (1942–2023), American mob hitman Nicholas Callan 1799–1864) ,Irish physicist and Catholic priest Nicholas J. Calogero (1924–2004), American politician Nicholas Campbell (born 1952), Canadian actor and filmmaker Nicholas Campion (born 1953), English astrologer and author Nicholas Canellakis (born 1984), American cellist Nicholas Canny (born 1944), Irish academic and historian Nicholas Carew, several people Nicholas Cartwright, Australian actor Nicholas Cavaliere (1899–1995), American cinematographer Nicholas J. Celebrezze (born 1977), American politician and lawyer Nicholas Chabraja (born 1942), Serbian–American lawyer Nicholas Chalmers (born 1977), English conductor Nicholas Chamberlain (born 1963), English Anglican bishop Nicholas Chamberlaine (1632 – 1715), a priest in the Church of England Nicholas Charnetsky (1884–1959), Ukrainian Catholic bishop Nicholas Chase (born 1966), American composer Nicholas Chelimo (born 1983), Kenyan long-distance runner Nicholas Chiaravalloti, American politician Nicholas F. Chilton, Australian chemist and professor Nicholas Choi (born 1993), Hong Kong foil fencer Nicholas Christakis (born 1962), American physician and sociologist Nicholas Christenfeld, American professor and psychologist Nicholas Christofilos (1916–1972), Greek physicist Nicholas Ciarelli (born 1986), American journalist Nicholas J. Cifarelli (1928–2005), Italian–American physician Nicholas Cirillo (born 1997), American actor and producer Nicholas Civella (1912–1983), American mobster Nicholas Clack (born 1930), English rower Nicholas Clagett (1686–1746), English bishop Nicholas Clapp (born 1936), American filmmaker, writer, and amateur archaeologist Nicholas Clapton (born 1955), English author, countertenor, and singing teacher Nicholas Clavin (born 1948), Irish soccer player Nicholas Cleaver (born 1975), Australian freestyle skier Nicholas Clemente (1929–2009), attorney, judge, novelist, and professor Nicholas Cleobury (born 1950), English conductor Nicholas Clinch (1930–2016), author, environmentalist, lawyer, and mountaineer Nicholas Colasanto (1924–1985), American actor and director Nicholas Coleridge (born 1957), English author, cultural chair, and media executive Nicholas Colla (born 1986), Australian actor and filmmaker Nicholas Collon (born 1983), British conductor Nicholas Comper (1897–1939), English aviator and aircraft designer Nicholas Conard (born 1961), American–German archaeologist and prehistorian Nicholas Condy (1793–1857), English painter Nicholas Confessore (born 1976), American political correspondent Nicholas Congiato (1816–1897), Italian Jesuit priest