Nicholas comes from the Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people," from nike and laos. Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop known for secret gift-giving to the poor, eventually morphed into Santa Claus by way of the Dutch Sinterklaas, giving the name one of the most durable cultural afterlives imaginable. Nicholas spent decades in the U.S. top 20 during the 1980s and 1990s and remains a steady top 150 choice. Three syllables and a generous nickname kit, Nick, Nico, Cole, let it flex across tones from boardroom to bedtime. A name with patron saints, red velvet, and a quiet generosity built in.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
- Nick
- Nico
Middle name ideas
All middle names for NicholasFamous people
None notable in our records yet.
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- Jameson
- Lorenzo
- Harrison
- Giovanni
- Dominic
Similar energy
- Jameson
- Lorenzo
- Harrison
- Giovanni
- Dominic
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Names like Nicholas
Jameson
Falling· boy
Scottish patronymic, 'son of James'; James from Hebrew Yaakov
Lorenzo
Rising· boy
Italian form of Laurence; from Latin Laurentius, 'from Laurentum'
Harrison
Steady· boy
English patronymic, 'son of Harry'; from Germanic heimric, 'home ruler'
Giovanni
Steady· boy
Italian form of John; Hebrew Yochanan, 'God is gracious'
Dominic
Falling· boy
From Latin dominicus, 'of the Lord'; given to Sunday-born children