Nicholas

The male given name Nicholas is derived from the Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos, a combination of the words for "victory" (nikē) and "people" (laos). The name can be understood to mean victory of the people although some say it means "power of the people". The name became popular through Saint Nicholas of Myra, the inspiration for Father Christmas (known as Santa Claus in the USA). The customary English version of spelling "Nicholas", using an "h", is derived from one way of transliterating the diacritic on the 'o' of the original Greek word Νικόλαος. It is claimed to have first come into use in the 12th century and to have been firmly established by the time of the Reformation. Nonetheless, the spelling "Nicolas" without "h" is occasionally found in English speaking countries (e.g. Nicolas Cage). In 2006, Nicholas 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 US records began for given names. ^[1] The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Nicholas every year on the 6th December. This day is the name day for "Nicholas".

Male variations

Variations for males include ^[2]:

• Albanian: Nikolla, Nikollë, Kola
• Basque: Nikola
• Bulgarian: Никола (Nikola), Николай (Nikolai)
• Croatian: Niko, Nikola, Nikša
• Czech: Mikula, Mikoláš, Mikuláš, Nikola
• Danish: Claus, Klaus, Niels, Nikolaj, Nilaus, Nis
• Dutch: Klaas, Nico, Nicolaas, Niek, Nikolaas
• English: Nic, Nick, Nickolas, Nicky, Nik, Nikolas
• Esperanto: Nichjo, Nikolao
• Estonian: Nigul
• Finnish: Launo, Niilo, Niklas, Niko
• French: Nicolas
• Frisian (West): Klaes
• Galician: Nicolau
• Georgian: Nikoloz
• German: Claus, Klaas, Klaus, Nickolaus, Nicolas, Nicolaus, Niklaus, Nikolaus, Niklas
• Greek: Νικόλαος (Nicolaos), Νικόλας (Nikolas)
• Hungarian: Miklós, Nikola
• Irish: Nioclás
• Italian: Niccolò, Nico, Nicola, Nicolò, Nicolai
• Kabyle: Nabil, Navil
• Latvian: Nikolajs
• Macedonian: Nikola, Kole, Nikolce (Pronounced Nik-col-che)
• Norwegian: Nils
• Polish: Mikołaj
• Portuguese: Nicolau
• Romanian: Neculai, Nicolae, Nicu, Nicusor
• Russian: Коля (Kolya), Николай (Nikolai)
• Scottish: Neacel, Nichol, Nicol
• Serbian: Никола (Nikola)
• Slovak: Mikuláš, Nikola
• Slovene: Miklavž, Nikola, Nikolaj
• Spanish: Nicolao, Nicolás
• Swedish: Nels, Niklas, Nils, Klas, Claes
• Ukrainian: Mykolai, Mykola

Female forms

Female forms include ^[3]:

• Bulgarian: Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta)
• Croatian: Nikolina
• Czech: Nikola
• Dutch: Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline
• English: Nicole/Nichole/Nicolle/Nikole/Nikkole, Nicola/Nichola, Nicolette, Nicky/Nikki/Nicci
• French: Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline
• German: Nicole, Nicola
• Greek: Νίκη (Niki), Νικολέτα (Nikoleta), Νικολίνα (Νikolina)
• Hungarian: Nikolett
• Italian: Nicoletta, Nicla, Nicolina
• Kabyle: Nabila
• Macedonian: Nikolina
• Romanian: Niculina, Nicoleta
• Serbian: Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta
• Slovak: Nikola
• Slovene: Nika
• Spanish: Nicolasa, Nicolá

People known as Nicholas

• Nicholas of Cusa
• Saint Nicholas of Flue
• Saint Nicholas of Japan
• Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Sinterklaas
• 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
• Saint Nicholas The Duc Bui, one of the Vietnamese Martyrs

References

See also

• Nicolas
• Nikolay
• Nicolay
• Nick
• Nico (given name)