Nicholas is a male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

and a surname. The

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

, the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the

name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...

for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its derivatives are especially popular in maritime regions, as St. Nicholas is considered the protector saint of seafarers.

Origins

The name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

name Νικόλαος (''

Nikolaos Nikolaos ( el, Νικόλαος, ') is a common Greek given name which means "Victor of People", a compound of νίκη '' nikē'' 'victory' and λαός laos' 'people'. The connotation is "people's champion" or "conqueror of people". The English ...

''), understood to mean 'victory of the people', being a compound of νίκη ''nikē'' 'victory' and λαός ''laos'' 'people'.. An ancient paretymology of the latter is that originates from λᾶς ''las'' (Synaeresis, contracted form of λᾶας ''laas'') meaning 'stone' or 'rock', as in Greek mythology, Deucalion and Pyrrha recreated the people after they had vanished in a catastrophic Deluge myth, deluge, by throwing stones behind their shoulders while they kept marching on. 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. The customary English spelling ''Nicholas'', using a ''Ch (digraph), ch'', as though the word were spelled in Greek with a Chi (letter), chi, first came into use in the 12th century and has been firmly established since the Protestant Reformation, Reformation, although the spelling ''Nicolas'' is occasionally used.

Male variations

Variations for males include: * af, Niklaas * sq, Nikollë, Nikolla, Nikë, Niklaus (disambiguation), Niklaus, Klaus, Koll, Kolë * ar, نقولا * fa, نیک * an, Nicolau * hy, italic=yes, Նիկողայոս (Nikog(h)ayos, Nigog(h)ayos), Նիկողոս (Nikog(h)os, Nigog(h)os) *Asturleonese language, Asturleonese: , , * eu, Nikola * be, italic=yes, Мікалай (Mikalai), Мікола (Mikola) * br, Nikolaz * bg, italic=yes, Никола (Nikola), Николай (Nikolay), Никлен (Niklen), Никулица (Nikùlitsa), Коле (Kole), Кольо (Kolyo), Колю (Kolyu) * ca, Nicolau * cv, Mikulaj * hr, Niko, Nikola'', Nikolac, Nikolaj'' * cz, Nikolas, Mikuláš * da, Claus, Klaus, Niels, Nicolai, Nikolaj, Nilas, Nis, Nikolas, Nikolai, Nicklas, Niklas, Niclas * nl, Nicolaas, Nikolaas, Klaas, Nico, Niek, Niels, Claas, Claes * eo, Niĉjo, Niko, Nikolao * et, Nigulas, Nigul, Niilo, Mikk * fi, Launo, Niilo, Niklas, Niko, Nikol, Nikolai *french: Nicolas (given name), Nicolas, Nico, Colas, Colin * gl, Nicolao * ka, ნიკოლოზ (), (), (), () *german: Claus, Claas, Klaas, Klaus, Klas, Nickolaus, Nicolaus, Niklaus, Nickolas, Nikolaus, Nikolo, Niklas, Nico, Niko, Nil, Nilo * el, Νικόλαος (

), Νικόλας (Nikolas), Νίκος (Nikos), Νικολής (Nikolis) * hu, Miklós, Mikulás (only for Santa Claus), Miksa, Mikes, Mike, Mikó, Nikolasz, Klausz * is, Nikulás, Níels, Nils * ga, Nioclás * it, Nicola (name), Nicola, Nicolò, Niccolò, Nico, Nicolao, Nicolas *Japanese language, Japanese: Nikorasu * la, Nicolaus * lv, Niklāvs, Klāvs, Nikolass, Nikolajs * lt, Mikalojus, Nikolajus * nds, Nikolaas, Nicolaas, Klaas, Klaus * mk, Никола (Nikola), Коле (Kole), Кољо (Koljo), Николче (Nikolče), Николе (Nikole) * ms, Nikkolas * mt, Nikola * mi, Nikora * no, Nils, Nikolai * pl, Mikołaj, Mik, Mikołajek, Nikolas * pt, Nicolau, Nicola, Nícolas * ro, Neculai, Nicolae (name), Nicolae, Nicu, Nicușor, Niculae, Nicoară(old variant inherited from Latin) *russian: Николай (Nikolai), Коля (Kolya) * gd, Neacel, Nichol, Nicol, Caelan, Calen * sr, Никола * sk, Mikuláš, Nikolas, Mikoláš * sl, Miklavž, Niko, Nikolaj * es, Nicolas (given name), Nicolás, Nicolao * sv, Nels, Niklas, Niclas, Nicklas, Nils, Klas, Claes * to, Nikolasi * tt-Cyrl, Микулай ()Makaleler
''Turuk Dergisi''. * uk, Микола (Mykola), Миколай (Mykolai, Mykolay) * hsb, Mikławš * fry, Klaes

Female forms

Female forms include: *Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta), Никол (Nikol), Нина (Nina) *Czech language, Czech: Nikol, Nikoleta, Nikola, Nicol *Dutch language, Dutch: Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline *Danish language, Danish: Nikoline *English language, English: Nicole (given name), Nicole/Nichole, Nicola/Nichola, Nicolette (disambiguation), Nicolette, Colette *French language, French: Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline, Cosette *German language, German: Nicole, Nikole, Nicola, Nikola *

: Νίκη (Níkē, a conflation with Nike (mythology), Níke), Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), Νικολίνα (Νikolína) *Hungarian language, Hungarian: Nikolett *Italian language, Italian: Nicoletta (disambiguation), Nicoletta, Nicole, Nicolina *Macedonian language, Macedonian: Nikolina *Norwegian language, Norwegian: Nilsine, Nicoline *Polish language, Polish: Nikola *Portuguese language, Portuguese: Nicole *Romanian language, Romanian: Niculina, Nicoleta *Scottish Gaelic, Scottish: Nicola, Nicholas (Lowlands 18th/19th century) *Serbo-Croatian: Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta *Slovak language, Slovak: Nikola, Nikoleta *Slovene language, Slovene: Nika *Spanish language, Spanish: Nicolasa, Nicoleta, Nicole

People known as Nicholas

Single name (rulers, popes, patriarch and antipopes)

*Antipope Nicholas V *Nicholas I of Russia *Nicholas II of Russia *Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš (1840–1921) King of Montenegro *List of Constantinople patriarchs, Patriarchs of Constantinople, of which the best known are Nicholas Mystikos and Patriarch Nicholas III of Constantinople, 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

*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 *Nick Ansell, 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 Bett (1992–2018), Kenyan hurdler *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 *Nick Cannon, 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 *Nick Chubb, Nicholas "Nick" Chubb (born 1995), American football player *Nicholas Clapp, American writer, film-maker, and amateur archaeologist *Nick Clegg, 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 *Nick Drake, Nicholas "Nick" Drake (1948–1974), English singer-songwriter and musician *Nick Ephgrave, Nicholas "Nick" Ephgrave, British senior police officer *Nicholas Fattoush (born 1943), Lebanese politician *Nicholas Fernando (1932–2020), Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Colombo from 1977 to 2002 *Nick Frost, Nicholas "Nick" Frost (born 1970), British comedian, actor and screenwriter *Nick Fuentes, Nicholas "Nick" Fuentes (born 1998), American right-wing political commentator *Nicholas Hoult (born 1989), English actor and model *Nick Lachey, 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 *Murder of Nicholas Markowitz, 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 *Illenium, 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 Pegg, British actor, director and writer *Nich Pertuit, Nicholas Pertuit (born 1983), American football player *Nicholas Petit-Frere (born 1999), American football player *Nick Rickles, Nicholas "Nick" Jay Rickles (born 1990), American baseball player *Nick Robinson (disambiguation), several people, including Nicholas and Nicky *Nicholas Sparks (politician) (1794–1862), American politician *Nicholas Sparks (born 1965), American novelist, screenwriter *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

* 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

*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 II of Russia, Nicholas of Russia (Nicholas II of Russia)

Surname

*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 C. Nicholas, 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 *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)

References

{{reflist Given names of Greek language origin English-language masculine given names English masculine given names English-language surnames Given names Surnames