Niklaus is a masculine given name and surname. Niklaus comes from the Greek word nikolaos (νικόλαος), meaning victory of the people. It’s a variant of the likewise Greek-origin given name Nicholas.
The traditional short forms of this name are Nik and Klaus, being primarily used in Switzerland and Germany.
Notable people with the name include the following:
Given name Niklaus Aeschbacher (1917–1995), Swiss composer and conductor Niklaus Bütler (1786–1854), Swiss painter Niklaus Dachselhofer (1595–1670), Swiss politician Niklaus Franz von Bachmann (1740–1831), Swiss general Niklaus Friedrich von Steiger (1729–1799), Swiss politician Niklaus Gerber (1850–1914), Swiss dairy chemist Niklaus Grunwald, American biologist and plant pathologist Niklaus Brantschen (born 1937), Swiss Jesuit, Zen master Niklaus Leuenberger (1615–1653), Swiss peasant Niklaus Manuel Deutsch (–1530), Swiss artist Niklaus Meienberg (1940–1993), Swiss writer and investigative journalist Niklaus Niggeler (1817–1872), Swiss politician Niklaus Pfluger (born 1958), Swiss Catholic priest Niklaus Riggenbach (1817–1899), Swiss inventor, engineer and locomotive builder Niklaus Schilling (1944–2016), Swiss film director, cinematographer, and screenwriter Niklaus Schurtenberger (born 1968), Swiss equestrian Niklaus Stump (1920–2005), Swiss cross-country and Nordic combined skier Niklaus Troxler (born 1947), Swiss graphic designer Niklaus Weckmann (–1526), German sculptor Niklaus Wirth (1934–2024), Swiss computer scientist
Middle name Franz Niklaus König (1765–1832), Swiss painter
Surname André Niklaus (born 1981), German decathlete Stephan Niklaus (born 1958), Swiss decathlete Mandy Niklaus (born 1956), East German fencer
Fictional characters Brad Niklaus from Sunset Beach Niklaus “Klaus” Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals
See also
Niclaus Nicklaus (name) Nikolaus (given name)