Nicholas

Male given name

For other uses, see Nicholas (disambiguation) and Nicolas (disambiguation).

Nicholas

Saint Nicholas of Myra

Pronunciation| /ˈnɪkələs/
Gender| Male
Origin
Language(s)| Greek
Meaning| Victory of the people
Other names
Derived|

* Ancient Greek: Νῑκόλᾱος, romanized: Nikólaos:
* From νίκη, nī́kē 'victory' and λᾱός, lāós 'people'

Related names| Miklós, Mikalai, Nicander, Nicanor, Niccolò, Nickolas, Nico, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolaas, Nicolae, Nicolao, Nicolas, Nicolau, Nicolay, Nicole, Nicolle, Nikita, Niklas, Nikola, Nikolai, Nikolaos, Nikolas, Nikolaus, Nikolla, Nikollë, Nikos

Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Νικόλαος, Nikolaos. 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.[1][2]

## Origins

[edit]

The name derives from the Ancient Greek: Νῑκόλᾱος, romanized: Nikólaos.[3] It is understood to mean 'victory of the people', being a compound of two Greek words, νίκη, nī́kē 'victory'[4] and λᾱός, lāós 'people'.[5] An ancient[5] paretymology (a false etymology) of the latter element, λᾱός, is that it originates from λᾶς, lâs (a contracted form of λᾶας, lâas), meaning 'stone' or 'rock'.[6] 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.[7]

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.[citation needed]

In Scotland, until the late nineteenth century, fishing communities used Nicholas as a female name.[8][9]

## Male variations

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Variations for males include:[10][11]

* Afrikaans: Nicolaas, Niklaas
* Albanian: Nikolas, Nikolla, Nikollë, Nikë, Klaus, Nikolin, Kolë
* Arabic: نقولا
* Persian: نیک

* Aragonese: Nicolau
* Armenian: Նիկողայոս (Nikog(h)ayos, Nigog(h)ayos), Նիկողոս (Nikog(h)os, Nigog(h)os)
* Asturleonese: Nicolás, Nicu, Colás
* Basque: Nikola
* Belarusian: Мікалай (Mikalai), Мікола (Mikola)
* Breton: Nikolaz
* Bulgarian: Никола (Nikola), Николай (Nikolay), Никлен (Niklen), Никулица (Nikùlitsa), Коле (Kole), Кольо (Kolyo), Колю (Kolyu)
* Catalan: Nicolau
* Chuvash: Mikulaj
* Croatian: Nikola, Nikolac, Niko, Nikolaj
* Czech: Nikolas, Nicolas, Mikuláš
* Dhivehi: ނިކޮލަސް
* Danish: Niklas, Klaus, Nikolas, Niels, Nicklas, Nikolai, Nicolai, Nicolas, Nikolaj, Niclas, Nilas, Claus, Nis
* Dutch: Nikolaas, Klaas, Nicolas, Nicolaas, Niek, Nico, Niels, Claas, Claes
* Esperanto: Niĉjo, Niko, Nikolao
* Estonian: Nigulas, Nicolas, Nigul, Mikk, Niilo
* Finnish: Niklas, Niko, Niilo, Nikolai, Nicolas, Launo, Nikol
* French: Nicolas, Nico, Colin, Colas
* Galician: Nicolao, Nicolau
* Georgian: ნიკოლოზ (Nikoloz), ნიკო (Niko), ნიკა (Nika), კოლა (Kola)
* German: Nikolaus, Niklas, Niklaus, Nikolaus, Nickolas, Nicolas, Nickolaus, Nikolo, Nicolaus, Niko, Nico, Klaus, Claus, Klas
* Greek: Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), Νικόλας (Nikolas), Νίκος (Nikos), Νικολής (Nikolis)
* Hungarian: Miklós, Nikolasz, Klausz, Mikulás (only for Santa Claus), Mikó, Mikes, Miksa
* Icelandic: Nikulás, Nicolas, Níels, Nils
* Indian: Nik
* Indonesian: Nikolaus, Nicholas, Nikolas, Nicolas
* Iranian: Nik
* Irish: Nioclás
* Italian: Niccolò, Nicolò, Nicola, Nicolas
* Japanese: ニコラス (Nikorasu)
* Latin: Nicolaus
* Latvian: Niklāvs, Klāvs, Nikolass, Nikolajs
* Lithuanian: Mikalojus, Nikolajus
* Low German: Nikolaas, Klaus, Nicolaas, Klaas, Nicolas
* Luxembourgish: Nicolas
* Macedonian: Никола (Nikola), Коле (Kole), Кољо (Koljo), Николче (Nikolče), Николе (Nikole)
* Malay: Nikkolas
* Maltese: Nikola
* Māori: Nikora
* Norwegian: Nils, Nikolai, Nicolas
* Polish: Mikołaj, Mikołajek, Nikolas, Nicolas, Mik
* Portuguese: Nicolau, Nícolas, Nicola
* Romanian: Nicolae, Nicolas, Nicușor, Nicoară (old variant inherited from Latin), Neculai, Niculae, Nicu
* Russian: Николай (Nikolai), Коля (Kolya), Nicolas
* Scottish Gaelic: Neacel, Nichol, Nicol, Caelan, Calen, Nicolas
* Serbian: Никола, Ниџа, Ниџо, Нико
* Slovak: Mikuláš, Nikolas, Mikoláš, Nicolas
* Slovene: Miklavž, Niko, Nikolaj
* Spanish: Nicolás, Nikolas
* Swedish: Nels, Niklas, Niclas, Nicklas, Nils, Klas, Claes, Nicolas
* Tongan: Nikolasi
* Tatar: Микулай (Miqulay)[12]
* Ukrainian: Микола (Mykola), Миколай (Mykolai)
* Upper Sorbian: Mikławš
* West Frisian: Klaes
* Yakut: Ньукулай

## Female forms

[edit]

Female forms include:[10]

* 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
* 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

[edit]

### Single name (rulers, popes, patriarch and antipopes)

[edit]

* 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 (first) name

[edit]

* Nicholas Yaw Boafo Adade (1927–2013), Ghanaian judge, Attorney General of Ghana from 1969 to 1971
* Nicholas Alipui, UNICEF's director of programmes
* Nicholas Allard (born 1952), American Dean and President of Brooklyn Law School
* Nicholas Ansell (born 1994), Australian footballer
* Nicholas Bacon (disambiguation), several people
* Nicholas Bayard (1644–1707), American official
* Nicholas Bayard (theologian) (fl. 1300?), Dominican theologian
* Nicholas “Nick” Beggs (born 1961), English bassist, singer, and founding member of Kajagoogoo
* Nicholas Bennett (swimmer) (born 2003), Canadian Paralympic swimmer
* Nicholas Bett (1992–2018), Kenyan hurdler
* Nicholas Kiptanui Bett (born 1996), Kenyan steeplechase runner
* Nicholas Braun (born 1988), American actor
* Nicholas Briggs (born 1961), British actor, voice of the Daleks on Doctor Who
* Nicholas Caldwell (1944–2016), American R&B singer, original member of The Whispers
* Nicholas "Nick" Cannon (born 1980), American actor, comedian, rapper, and radio/television personality
* Nicholas Choi, Hong Kong fencer
* Nicholas A. Christakis (born 1962), American sociologist and physician
* Nicholas "Nick" Chubb (born 1995), American football player
* Nicholas Clapp, American writer, film-maker, and amateur archaeologist
* Nicholas "Nick" Clegg (born 1967), British politician
* Nicholas Courtney (1929–2011), British actor known for playing the Brigadier, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, in Doctor Who
* Nicholas of Cusa (1401–1464), German philosopher, theologian, jurist, and astronomer
* Nicholas Dias Abeysinghe (1719–1794), Sri Lankan Maha Mudaliyar
* Nicholas "Nick" Drake (1948–1974), English singer-songwriter and musician
* Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Archbishop and general overseer of the Action Chapel International in Accra, Ghana, since 1979
* Nicholas Dworet (2000–2018), one of the 17 victims killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
* Nicholas "Nick" Ephgrave, British senior police officer
* Nicholas Fattoush (born 1943), Lebanese politician
* Nicholas Fernando (1932–2020), Roman Catholic Archbishop of Colombo from 1977 to 2002
* Nicholas "Nick" Frost (born 1970), British comedian, actor and screenwriter
* Nicholas "Nick" Fuentes (born 1998), American right-wing political commentator
* Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (1953–2012), British scholar of western esotericism
* Nicholas Halliday (born 1999), Hong Kong sailor who competes in the ILCA 7 class
* Nicholas Hoult (born 1989), English actor and model
* Nicholas Scott Lachey (born 1973), American singer, songwriter, actor, producer, and television personality
* Nicholas Laughlin (born 1975), Trinidad and Tobago writer and editor
* Nicholas Lash (1934–2020), British theologian
* Nicholas Latifi (born 1995), Canadian racing driver
* Nicholas Lyndhurst, (born 1961) British actor
* Nicholas Markowitz (1984–2000), American murder victim
* Nicholas Massey (born 1989), American professional wrestler, one half of The Young Bucks
* Nicholas Megura (1920–1988), American flying ace during World War II
* Nicholas D. Miller (born 1990), American DJ known professionally as Illenium
* Nicholas Mosley (1923–2017), British novelist and aristocrat
* Nicholas Nahas (born 1946), Lebanese businessman and politician
* Nicholas Negroponte (born 1943), Greek American computer scientist and architect
* Nicholas Patrick (born 1964), British-American engineer and astronaut
* Nicholas Paul (cyclist) (born 1998), Trinidadian track cyclist
* Nicholas Pegg, British actor, director and writer
* Nicholas Pertuit (born 1983), American football player
* Nicholas Petit-Frere (born 1999), American football player
* Nicolas Pol (born 1977), French contemporary artist
* Nicholas “Nick” Rhodes (born 1962), English keyboardist and founding member of Duran Duran
* Nicholas "Nick" Jay Rickles (born 1990), American baseball player
* Nick Robinson (disambiguation), several people, including Nicholas and Nicky
* Nicholas Russo (1845–1902), Italian Jesuit, philosopher, missionary, and Boston College president
* Nicholas Saputra (born 1984), Indonesian actor and film producer
* Nicholas Sparks (politician) (1794–1862), American politician
* Nicholas Sparks (born 1965), American novelist, screenwriter
* Nicolas Sutton (born 1974), British journalist
* Nicholas Tatambuka (born 1985), Ugandan singer and dancer known as Nick Nola
* Nicholas Tse (born 1980), Hong Kong singer and actor
* Nicholas Winton (1909–2015), British humanitarian, nicknamed the British Schindler
* Nicholas Wrigley (born 1955), British merchant banker

### Nobility

[edit]

* Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), Emperor of Russia
* Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), Emperor of Russia
* Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, son of George I of Greece

### Saints

[edit]

* Saint Nicholas The Duc Bui, one of the Vietnamese Martyrs
* Saint Nicholas of Flüe
* Saint Nicholas of Japan
* Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Sinterklaas or Santa Claus
* Saint Nicholas of Tolentino
* Saint Nicholas of Russia (Nicholas II of Russia)

### Surname

[edit]

* Bob Nicholas (born 1957), American politician
* Cindy Nicholas (1957-2016), Canadian long distance swimmer
* Cyril Nicholas (1898–1961), Sri Lankan Burgher army captain, civil servant, and forester
* Edward Nicholas (1593–1699), English politician
* Fred Nicholas (1893–1962), British cricketer
* George Nicholas (politician) (1754–1799), American law professor, son of Robert C. Nicholas Sr.
* George Nicholas (footballer) (born 1992)
* Harry Nicholas (1905–1997), British trade unionist
* John Nicholas (academic), 17th-century Oxford administrator
* John Nicholas (congressman) (1764–1819), American lawyer and politician, father of Robert C. Nicholas
* John Nicholas (judge), Australian judge
* John Nicholas (of Chepstow), 17th-century English politician
* John Spangler Nicholas (1895–1963), American embryologist
* Nick St. Nicholas (born 1943), musician
* Paul Nicholas (born 1944), English actor and singer
* Phil Nicholas (born 1955), American politician
* Philip Nicholas (1876–1952), Welsh rugby player
* Robert C. Nicholas (New York politician) (1801–1851), American politician
* Robert Carter Nicholas, Sr. (1728–1780), American lawyer and politician
* Robert Carter Nicholas (1793–1857), American planter and politician
* Samuel Nicholas (1744–1790), the first American Marine officer and commandant
* Sandra Lovelace Nicholas (born 1948), Canadian indigenous activist and senator
* Thomas Nicholas (disambiguation), several people
* Tom Nicholas, British economist
* Victor A. Nicholas (1897–1956), second Sri Lankan to hold post of Postmaster General of Sri Lanka
* William H. Nicholas (1892–1984), American politician
* William Nicholas (officer) (1785–1812), British Army officer
* Wilson Cary Nicholas (1761–1820), American banker and politician
* The Nicholas Brothers, American tap dancers:
* Fayard Nicholas (1914–2006)
* Harold Nicholas (1921–2000)

## See also

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* All pages with titles beginning with Nicholas
* All pages with titles containing Nicholas
* Nick (short form)
* Nicky, Nickey, Nicki, Niky, Nikky (nicknames)
* Nicholaus

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Greece". St. Nicholas Center. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022.
2. ^ English, Adam C. (2012). "Death Is Only the Beginning". The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The true life and trials of Nicholas of Myra. Waco, Texas (USA): Baylor University Press. pp. 165–191. ISBN 978-1-60258-634-5.
3. ^ "Saint Nicholas: The story behind the legendary figure that inspired the modern-day Santa". Newshub. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
4. ^ νίκη. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
5. ^ a b λαός in Liddell and Scott.
6. ^ λᾶας in Liddell and Scott.
7. ^ Thucydides. "2.67". History of the Peloponnesian War. At the Perseus Project digital library.
8. ^ "Details for the forename Nicholas". www.whatsinaname.net.
9. ^ "Forenames: Ambiguous names". ScotlandsPeople. Gov.UK. "Names that, today, we would normally associate with boys were occasionally (mainly in the North of Scotland) given to girls and vice versa, for example, Nicholas."
* For an example of such use for females, see this description of a 1754 case of an executed woman, Nicholas Cockburn: Bennett, Rachel E. (December 2017). "Scottish Women and the Hangman's Noose". Capital Punishment and the Criminal Corpse in Scotland, 1740–1834. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 93–119. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-62018-3_4. ISBN 978-3-319-62017-6.
10. ^ a b "Nicholas". Behind the Name.
11. ^ "Nikolai". Nordic Names.
12. ^ Makaleler. Turuk Dergisi.