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 — 9 0.0026%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 13 0.0026%
1913 — 18 0.0032%
1914 — 29 0.0042%
1915 — 36 0.004%
1916 — 17 0.0018%
1917 — 49 0.0049%
1918 — 28 0.0026%
1919 — 38 0.0036%
1920 — 48 0.0043%
1921 — 47 0.0041%
1922 — 59 0.0053%
1923 — 40 0.0036%
1924 — 76 0.0065%
1925 — 63 0.0056%
1926 — 39 0.0035%
1927 — 45 0.0041%
1928 — 60 0.0056%
1929 — 67 0.0065%
1930 — 62 0.0059%
1931 — 51 0.0052%
1932 — 45 0.0046%
1933 — 36 0.0039%
1934 — 44 0.0046%
1935 — 41 0.0042%
1936 — 32 0.0033%
1937 — 44 0.0045%
1938 — 37 0.0036%
1939 — 25 0.0025%
1940 — 44 0.0041%
1941 — 42 0.0037%
1942 — 34 0.0027%
1943 — 44 0.0034%
1944 — 48 0.0039%
1945 — 52 0.0043%
1946 — 54 0.0037%
1947 — 69 0.0041%
1948 — 49 0.0031%
1949 — 76 0.0047%
1950 — 71 0.0044%
1951 — 82 0.0048%
1952 — 69 0.004%
1953 — 79 0.0045%
1954 — 82 0.0045%
1955 — 60 0.0033%
1956 — 77 0.0041%
1957 — 79 0.0041%
1958 — 76 0.004%
1959 — 93 0.0049%
1960 — 102 0.0054%
1961 — 75 0.004%
1962 — 75 0.0041%
1963 — 93 0.0052%
1964 — 106 0.006%
1965 — 106 0.0065%
1966 — 90 0.0058%
1967 — 130 0.0086%
1968 — 131 0.0087%
1969 — 129 0.0084%
1970 — 160 0.0101%
1971 — 164 0.0109%
1972 — 154 0.0113%
1973 — 191 0.0147%
1974 — 177 0.0136%
1975 — 262 0.0204%
1976 — 261 0.0203%
1977 — 392 0.0291%
1978 — 743 0.0553%
1979 — 880 0.0624%
1980 — 810 0.0554%
1981 — 865 0.0588%
1982 — 862 0.0577%
1983 — 910 0.0617%
1984 — 926 0.0622%
1985 — 964 0.0635%
1986 — 948 0.0628%
1987 — 987 0.0647%
1988 — 1,171 0.0751%
1989 — 1,519 0.0941%
1990 — 1,624 0.098%
1991 — 1,569 0.0963%
1992 — 1,786 0.1119%
1993 — 1,802 0.1156%
1994 — 1,942 0.1265%
1995 — 1,978 0.1312%
1996 — 2,276 0.152%
1997 — 2,417 0.1634%
1998 — 2,914 0.1947%
1999 — 2,750 0.1836%
2000 — 2,836 0.1856%
2001 — 2,809 0.1864%
2002 — 2,786 0.1859%
2003 — 2,989 0.1965%
2004 — 2,852 0.1871%
2005 — 2,948 0.1928%
2006 — 2,916 0.1862%
2007 — 2,811 0.1782%
2008 — 2,663 0.1723%
2009 — 2,465 0.1649%
2010 — 2,380 0.1652%
2011 — 2,223 0.156%
2012 — 2,099 0.1473%
2013 — 2,102 0.1476%
2014 — 2,050 0.1407%
2015 — 1,962 0.1348%
2016 — 2,039 0.1414%
2017 — 1,877 0.1345%
2018 — 2,075 0.151%
2019 — 2,113 0.1561%
2020 — 1,823 0.1432%
2021 — 1,976 0.1616%
2022 — 1,954 0.1481%
2023 — 1,874 0.1448%

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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

Nora

Honorable one

Latin

14 Comments

  1. We like that it means victorious. Our daughter was named after her dad, so we decided we liked Nicolas so he was named after mom.

    Reply

  2. NA

    Reply

  3. 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).

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

  7. 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.

    Reply

  8. 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.

    Reply

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

    Reply

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

    Reply

  11. 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.

    Reply

  12. 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.

    Reply

  13. 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.

    Reply

  14. Nico is my all time favorite name!!

    Reply

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