Where does the name Nicholas come from?

Nicholas is a boy name of Greek origin.

Is Nicholas a boy or a girl name?

Nicholas is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Nicholas are girls and 100% are boys.

How popular is the name Nicholas in 2023?

Nicholas ranks #109 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1995 with 29,216 babies.

How do you pronounce Nicholas?

Nicholas is pronounced NIK-uh-las (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Nicholas?

Nicholas is also written as Nikolas, Nicolas, Nikolai.

A name from Greek · Boy

Nicholas

From Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), "victory of the people" (νίκη "victory" + λαός "people"). St. Nicholas of Myra (4th c.), bishop and gift-giver, is the historical seed of Santa Claus.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

919,894 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

3,261 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

NFrom Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), "victory of the people" (νίκη "victory" + λαός "people"). St. Nicholas of Myra (4th c.), bishop and gift-giver, is the historical seed of Santa Claus.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Nicholas".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Nikolas Most common Nicolas Nikolai

Quick answers

People often ask about Nicholas.

What does the name Nicholas mean?: Nicholas means from Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), "victory of the people" (νίκη "victory" + λαός "people"). St. Nicholas of Myra (4th c.), bishop and gift-giver, is the historical seed of Santa Claus.
Where does the name Nicholas come from?: Nicholas is a boy name of Greek origin.
Is Nicholas a boy or a girl name?: Nicholas is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 0% of children given the name Nicholas are girls and 100% are boys.
How popular is the name Nicholas in 2023?: Nicholas ranks #109 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1995 with 29,216 babies.
How do you pronounce Nicholas?: Nicholas is pronounced NIK-uh-las (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Nicholas?: Nicholas is also written as Nikolas, Nicolas, Nikolai.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.