Nicholas
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Greek |
| Meaning | Victory of the people |
| Other names | |
| Derived | Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), a combination of Greek words "Victory" (nikē) and "People" (laos) |
| Related names | see below |
Template:Nicholas The male given name Nicholas is derived from the Greek Νικόλαος, Nikólaos, a combination of the words for "victory" (níkē) and "people" (laós). The name can be understood to mean victory of the people although some say it means "power of the people". In addition, "laos" or "λαός" in Greek, originates from the word root "-las", as found in the word "λα-τομείο" meaning "stone" or "rock". (In Greek Mythology, Deucalion and Pyrrha recreated the people after they had vanished in a catastrophic 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. The customary English version of spelling "Nicholas", using an "h", is derived from one way of transliterating the diacritic on the 'o' of the original Greek word Νικόλαος. It is claimed to have first come into use in the 12th century and to have been firmly established by the time of the Reformation. Nonetheless, the spelling "Nicolas" without "h" is occasionally found in English speaking countries (e.g. Nicolas Cage). In 2006, Nicholas was the 17th most popular male name given to babies in the USA. Roughly 0.7151% of the baby boys born that year, or 15,414, were given that name. It is decreasing in popularity, from a high in 1997, when 27,248 US males were given the name Nicholas. That year was the most popular year for Nicholas since 1880, when US records began for given names. [1]
The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Saint Nicholas every year on the 6th of December. This day is the name day 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.
Male variations
Variations for males include [2]:
- Albanian: Nikolla, Nikollë, Kola
- Basque: Nikola
- Belarusian: Mikalaj (Мікалай), Mikola (Мікола)
- Bulgarian: Никола (Nikola), Николай (Nikolay)
- Croatian: Nikola, Niko, Nikša, Nikica
- Czech: Mikula, Mikoláš, Mikuláš, Nikola
- Danish: Claus, Klaus, Niels, Nicolai, Nikolaus, Nikolaj, Nilaus, Nis
- Dutch: Klaas, Nico, Nicolaas, Niek, Nikolaas
- English: Nic, Nick, Nickolas, Nicky, Nik, Nicolas, Nikolas, Nicholas, Nikholas
- Esperanto: Niĉjo, Nikolao
- Estonian: Nigul
- Fijian: Niko
- Finnish: Launo, Niilo, Niklas, Niko
- French: Nicolas, Nico, Colas, Colin
- Frisian (West): Klaes
- Galician: Nicolau
- Georgian: Nikoloz
- German: Claus, Claas, Klaas, Klaus, Klas, Nickolaus, Nicolas, Nicolaus, Niklaus, Nikolaus, Niklas, Nico, Niko
- Greek: Νικόλαος (Nicolaos), Νικόλας (Nikolas), Νίκος (Nikos), Νικολής (Nikolis)
- Hungarian: Miklós, Nikola
- Irish: Nioclás
- Italian: Niccolò, Nico, Nicola, Nicolò, Nicolai
- Latvian: Nikolajs, Niks
- Lithuanian: Mikalojus
- Norwegian: Niels
- Polish: Mikołaj, Mik, Mikolajek
- Portuguese: Nicolau
- Romanian: Neculai, Nicolae, Nicu, Nicusor, Niculae
- Russian: Коля (Kolya), Николай (Nikolai)
- Scottish: Neacel, Nichol, Nicol
- Serbian: Никола (Nikola)
- Slavomacedonian: Nikola, Kole, Nikolče (Pronounced Nik-col-che)
- Slovak: Mikuláš, Nikola
- Slovene: Miklavž, Niko, Nikolaj
- Spanish: Nicolao, Nicolás
- Swedish: Nels, Niklas, Niclas, Nicklas, Nils, Klas, Claes
- Ukrainian: Микола (Mykola), Миколай (Mykolai)
Female forms
Female forms include [2]:
- Bulgarian: Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta)
- Croatian: Nikolina, Nika, Nina
- Czech: Nikola
- Dutch: Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline
- Danish: Nikoline
- English: Nicole/Nichole/Nicolle/Nikole/Nikkole, Nicola/Nichola, Nicolette, Colette, Nicky/Nikki/Nicci
- French: Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline
- German: Nicole, Nikole, Nicola, Nikola
- Greek: Νίκη (Níkē, a conflation with Nike), Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), Νικολίνα (Νikolína)
- Hungarian: Nikolette
- Italian: Nicoletta, Nicla, Nicole, Nicolina, Nikoletta
- Romanian: Niculina, Nicoleta
- Scottish: Nicola
- Serbian: Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta
- Slavomacedonian: Nikolina
- Slovak: Nikola
- Slovene: Nika
- Spanish: Nicolasa, Nikoletta, Nicolá
- Swedish: Nicole
People known as Nicholas or derivate
- Nicholas of Cusa
- Nicholas I of Montenegro, King of Montenegro
- Nicholas I of Russia
- Nicholas II of Russia
- Nicholas of Tolentino
- Nicholas is also the name of five popes (Pope Nicholas I, Pope Nicholas II, Pope Nicholas III, Pope Nicholas IV, and Pope Nicholas V), Antipope Nicholas V and four Patriarchs of Constantinople
- Nicholas Greeley is a person who is known for his bullying and what he posted on the Newfoundland site, Blue Kaffee[3]. He pretended to be a person's friend, then went and posted mean things about the person, hoping to get away with it, but was caught by one of the only administrators who would deal with cyber bullying.
Saints
- Saint Nicholas The Duc Bui, one of the Vietnamese Martyrs
- Saint Nicholas of Flue
- Saint Nicholas of Japan
- Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as Sinterklaas
Nicholas as surname
References
- ^ US Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
- ^ a b Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of First Names
- ^ http://www.bluekaffee.com/topicview.php?topic=65957&page=10