Nicholas - Names
Meaning of the name Nicholas
Gender:
Male
Meaning:
Victory of the people (from Greek: nike ‘victory’ and laos ‘people’)
History & etymology:
The name Nicholas comes from Greek and means ‘victory of the people’ from the combination of: nike ‘victory’ and laos ‘people’.
Nicholas was the name of a very popular and widely venerated saint. St. Nicholas, also known as Nikolaos of Myra, was a 4th century Greek bishop, a prototype for the figure of Santa Claus, who brings gifts on Christmas. Legend has it, that he once met a man who could not afford a dowry for his three daughters and was forced to sell them into servitude (or, according to other sources, to a brothel). Seeing his misery, St. Nicholas secretly entered his house at night and placed three bags of gold, one for each daughter.
His feast day is celebrated on 6th December.
Because of St. Nicholas’s fame, the name used to be a very popular in Europe. It was borne by five popes and two Russian tzars. Nicholas was a popular name in the medieval England, too, but its popularity decreased after the Protestant Reformation.
Alternative spellings & nicknames:
Nikolas, Nickolas, Nicolas, Nico
Related names: Colin, Collin, Claus, Klaus
Diminutives: Nick, Nic, Nicky, Nik
Similar names in other languages & name days:
Estonia
6th December: Nigulas
Finland
6th December: Niklas
France
6th December: Nicolas
Germany
15th November, 6th December: Nikolaus
Hungary
6th December: Miklós
Lithuania
8th May: Mykolas
10th September: Mikalojus
6th December: Mikolajus
Poland
14th February, 21st March, 9th May, 19th May, 2nd June, 9th July, 10th September, 13th October, 13th November, 6th December: Mikołaj
Spain
21st March, 6th December: Nicolás
Sweden
6th December: Nikolaus
Ukraine
6th December: Nicholas
USA
6th December: Nicholas, Nichole, Nick, Nickolas
Norwegian: Caj, Cai, Kai, Kaj
Esperanto: Nikolaos
Macedonian: Nikolche
Portuguese: Nicolau, Nico
Russian: Nikolai, Kolya
Famous people named Nicholas/Nick:
Nicholas II (1868 – 1918) - last Emperor of Russia
Nicholas Braun (1988-) - American actor
Nick Carter (1980-) - American pop singer
Nick Cannon (1980-) - American actor
Nicholas Colletti (1994-) - American rapper
Nicholas Hammond (1950-) - American actor
Nicholas Hoult (1989-) - English actor
Nick Jonas (1992-) - American pop singer
Nicholas Megalis (1989-) - American pop singer
Nick Offerman (1970-)- American actor
Nicholas Sparks (1965-) - American novelist
Nicholas Winton (1909-2015) - English war hero
Fun facts:
Popularity (2015)
USA: 62nd
England and Wales: 140th
Canada: 76th
Australia: 54th
Italy: 61st
Lucky colors: blue, white
Lucky stone: Crystal
Ruling planet: Saturn
Characteristics: compassionate, caring, patient, sociable, outgoing
Old Nick is a colloquial name for the devil.