Nicolas

Nicolas is the French and Spanish spelling of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people," the name of the fourth-century Bishop of Myra who became Saint Nicholas and, eventually, Santa Claus. Without the second h, the silhouette slims down and the pronunciation can slide Latin or Anglo depending on the room. It belongs to two tsars, Sarkozy, and Cage. Currently at rank 185 in the U.S., it remains especially popular in Hispanic families. Three easy syllables, with Nico as the affectionate short form gaining ground of its own. Worldly, unfussy, quietly distinguished.