Boy name · Greek
Nicholas
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: victory of the peopleNicholas is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "victory of the people". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Victory of the people
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #112 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Nicholas
As a boy's name, Nicholas comes from Greek and means "victory of the people". It is used in English.
Nicholas is also a surname: the 1,378th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 25,235 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Nicholas on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nicholas on 3 lists.
“Victory of the people; Greek. The saint behind Santa Claus”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“The saint who inspired the whole Santa story”
From Reindeer names, boy reindeer names
“Victory of the people; Greek. Saint of Myra, patron of children and sailors”
From Medieval names and surnames, saints' names popular in medieval Europe
How popular is Nicholas?
- US rank in 2025
- #112
- 3,115 babies, 1,824 per million boys
- Best rank
- #5 in 1999
- Most babies: 29,160 in 1995
- Babies since 1880
- At least 926,047
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 666 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 751 per million |
| 1900s | 983 per million |
| 1910s | 1,533 per million |
| 1920s | 1,235 per million |
| 1930s | 920 per million |
| 1940s | 1,041 per million |
| 1950s | 1,119 per million |
| 1960s | 1,160 per million |
| 1970s | 3,940 per million |
| 1980s | 12,098 per million |
| 1990s | 14,134 per million |
| 2000s | 8,898 per million |
| 2010s | 3,553 per million |
| 2020s | 2,025 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #63 | #68 | #74 | #78 | #87 | #92 | #97 | #109 | #117 | #112 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Nicholas
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Nickcommon English nickname
- Nicocommon English nickname
- Nickycommon English nickname
- Colecommon English nickname
Other forms of Nicholas
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- KlaasVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- KlausVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- MikołajVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NeacelVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NiccolòVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NicoVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NicodemusVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NicolasVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NielsVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NiklasVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NikodemVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
- NikolaiVictory of the people (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- ViktoriaVictory, triumph (Latin, girl)
- BereniceBringing victory (Greek, girl)
- VeronikaBringing victory (Latin, girl)
- ColetteVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- NicoletteVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- SigmundVictory protection (Old Norse, boy)
- SigridBeautiful victory (Old Norse, girl)
- VictoriaVictory, triumph (Latin, girl)
- AmarjeetImmortal victory (Sanskrit, unisex)
Middle names for Nicholas
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- HectorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
Nicholas: common questions
What does the name Nicholas mean?
Nicholas comes from Greek and means "victory of the people".
Is Nicholas a boy or girl name?
Nicholas is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 8 girls and 3,115 boys in the US were named Nicholas, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Nicholas?
Common nicknames for Nicholas include Nick, Nico, Nicky and Cole.
How popular is the name Nicholas?
Nicholas ranked #112 in the US in 2025, with 3,115 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Nicholas?
Forms of Nicholas with the same meaning and origin include Klaas (Dutch), Klaus (German), Mikołaj (Polish), Neacel (Scottish) and Niccolò (Italian).
What middle names go with Nicholas?
Middle names that flow well with Nicholas include Glenn, Grant, Isaac, James and John. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.