Nicolas Name Meaning

The name Nicolas carries a strong meaning of victory and success. It is also associated with charity and generosity, thanks to Saint Nicholas’s inspiring legacy.

History of the Name Nicolas

The name Nicolas has been around for centuries. It has its roots in the Greek name Nikolaos, which means “victory of the people.” The name was popularized in the Middle Ages by the legendary Saint Nicholas, who was renowned for his charitable acts. The name Nicolas has also been used in literature, such as by the famous French author Alexandre Dumas in his novel “The Count of Monte Cristo”.

Origins of the Name Nicolas

Nicolas is derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, which comes from the words nike (victory) and laos (people). As such, the name literally means “victory of the people”. The name is also commonly used in French, Spanish, Italian, and German-speaking countries.

Popularity of the Name Nicolas

Nicolas has been a popular name for centuries, and its popularity has only grown over time. In the United States, it has been a Top 100 name since the 1960s, peaking in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2018, Nicolas was the 41st most popular name for boys in the United States. It is also popular in many other countries around the world, including France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.

Final Thoughts on the Name Nicolas

Nicolas is a classic name that has been around for centuries. It carries a strong meaning of victory and success, and it is often associated with charity and generosity. The name has also grown in popularity over time, and it is currently one of the most popular names in the United States and many other countries around the world. So if you’re looking for a timeless and meaningful name for your little one, Nicolas is definitely worth considering!

Infographic of Nicolas name meaning, which is Derived from Nikolaos, Nicolas is a Greek name meaning victory of the people.
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Nicolas Name Popularity

How popular is the name Nicolas? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 501 9 0.0026%
1911 0 0%
1912 682 13 0.0026%
1913 669 18 0.0032%
1914 644 29 0.0042%
1915 706 36 0.004%
1916 929 17 0.0018%
1917 658 49 0.0049%
1918 836 28 0.0026%
1919 745 38 0.0036%
1920 708 48 0.0043%
1921 727 47 0.0041%
1922 666 59 0.0053%
1923 763 40 0.0036%
1924 604 76 0.0065%
1925 646 63 0.0056%
1926 758 39 0.0035%
1927 719 45 0.0041%
1928 635 60 0.0056%
1929 593 67 0.0065%
1930 617 62 0.0059%
1931 643 51 0.0052%
1932 681 45 0.0046%
1933 709 36 0.0039%
1934 672 44 0.0046%
1935 678 41 0.0042%
1936 735 32 0.0033%
1937 654 44 0.0045%
1938 713 37 0.0036%
1939 803 25 0.0025%
1940 678 44 0.0041%
1941 686 42 0.0037%
1942 762 34 0.0027%
1943 704 44 0.0034%
1944 669 48 0.0039%
1945 639 52 0.0043%
1946 670 54 0.0037%
1947 659 69 0.0041%
1948 719 49 0.0031%
1949 622 76 0.0047%
1950 651 71 0.0044%
1951 626 82 0.0048%
1952 660 69 0.004%
1953 650 79 0.0045%
1954 649 82 0.0045%
1955 717 60 0.0033%
1956 689 77 0.0041%
1957 681 79 0.0041%
1958 688 76 0.004%
1959 659 93 0.0049%
1960 644 102 0.0054%
1961 699 75 0.004%
1962 704 75 0.0041%
1963 666 93 0.0052%
1964 629 106 0.006%
1965 619 106 0.0065%
1966 643 90 0.0058%
1967 563 130 0.0086%
1968 566 131 0.0087%
1969 586 129 0.0084%
1970 564 160 0.0101%
1971 554 164 0.0109%
1972 562 154 0.0113%
1973 506 191 0.0147%
1974 528 177 0.0136%
1975 456 262 0.0204%
1976 442 261 0.0203%
1977 374 392 0.0291%
1978 262 743 0.0553%
1979 241 880 0.0624%
1980 261 810 0.0554%
1981 246 865 0.0588%
1982 249 862 0.0577%
1983 238 910 0.0617%
1984 233 926 0.0622%
1985 232 964 0.0635%
1986 238 948 0.0628%
1987 229 987 0.0647%
1988 218 1,171 0.0751%
1989 189 1,519 0.0941%
1990 187 1,624 0.098%
1991 195 1,569 0.0963%
1992 178 1,786 0.1119%
1993 176 1,802 0.1156%
1994 162 1,942 0.1265%
1995 164 1,978 0.1312%
1996 151 2,276 0.152%
1997 143 2,417 0.1634%
1998 131 2,914 0.1947%
1999 138 2,750 0.1836%
2000 137 2,836 0.1856%
2001 141 2,809 0.1864%
2002 137 2,786 0.1859%
2003 134 2,989 0.1965%
2004 138 2,852 0.1871%
2005 135 2,948 0.1928%
2006 140 2,916 0.1862%
2007 144 2,811 0.1782%
2008 151 2,663 0.1723%
2009 158 2,465 0.1649%
2010 163 2,380 0.1652%
2011 168 2,223 0.156%
2012 182 2,099 0.1473%
2013 191 2,102 0.1476%
2014 195 2,050 0.1407%
2015 201 1,962 0.1348%
2016 194 2,039 0.1414%
2017 205 1,877 0.1345%
2018 192 2,075 0.151%
2019 183 2,113 0.1561%
2020 203 1,823 0.1432%
2021 189 1,976 0.1616%
2022 191 1,954 0.1481%

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Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Nicolas

If you like Nicolas, you’ll love these other names like Nicolas.


What names sound like Nicolas?

If you like how Nicolas sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Nicolas.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Nicklas

People of victory

Greek

Nickolas

People of victory

Greek

Nicolaas

People of victory

Greek

Nicolaus

People of victory

Greek

Nicolis

People of victory

Greek

Nicolls

People of victory

Greek

Nikolas

People of victory

Greek


What names are similar to Nicolas?

Find a name that’s like Nicolas, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Nicola

People of victory

Greek

Nicolai

People of victory

Greek

Nicolao

People of victory

Greek

Nicolay

People of victory

Greek


Lists With Nicolas

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Nicolas.


Siblings of Nicolas

Mamas with kids named Nicolas also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jonah

Dove

Hebrew

Clara

Bright and clear

Latin

13 Comments

  1. NA

  2. It’s my brother’s name (so it’s a family name), and we’re using the Hispanic spelling because my husband is Peruvian. His first name is Juan (in honor of my husband’s grandfather).

  3. My bestie is named Nicolas and he is a sweetie pie

  4. We are bilingual and love the name in both English and Spanish, it’s easy to pronounce for all the family members.

  5. Porque significa generosidad 🙂
    Me encanta el diminutivo Nico. Me choca el diminutivo Nicky.

  6. I have always liked the names Nicole or Nicolas and we waited to know the gender until birth so we called our baby “Nico” throughout the whole pregnancy.

  7. I chose my sons name because his sister that passed is named Maya Nicole so we named him Nicolas after her in memory of her we call him Nico for short.

  8. I chose Nicolas as a memorial for my best friend Nicole who passed away.

  9. We love the sound of Nico and Nicolas works both in English and Spanish

  10. My native language is Spanish, so me and my husband wanted a name equally easy to pronounce in both languages for our families. We chose the Spanish spelling and will let baby decide later on how he likes to pronounce when he grows up.

  11. How and why I chose Nicolas is easy…my middle name is Nicole. He’s my 7th child and NONE of the others have any part of my name and since I decided that he’ll be my last I wanted him to have a part of me. There’s many different spellings so I just went with a simple solution…spell it the way Nicole is spelled. No “H”, no “K” so I just went with that.

  12. It was a name we immediately connected with. As an activist, I love that it means “victory of the people”. Additionally, I like Nikola Tesla (the Croatian version of Nicolas) & it’s a way to have an ode to him but with the more recognizable version of the name.

  13. Nico is my all time favorite name!!


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