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Nikolai

Quick answerThe given name 'Nikolai' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos', meaning 'victory of the people', with its linguistic root in the Greek words 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people).

Russian · Boy · 3 syllables

N
Top 1,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#605
TrendStable
Peak year2016
Syllables3
OriginRussian
LanguageRussian
CultureRussian, Bulgarian
ReligionChristian
Letters7
Numerology8 Chaldean 2
Global rank#103

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Nikolai

The given name 'Nikolai' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos', meaning 'victory of the people', with its linguistic root in the Greek words 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people).

Cross-referenced with Wikidata/Wikipedia. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The given name 'Nikolai' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos', meaning 'victory of the people', with its linguistic root in the Greek words 'nike' (victory) and 'laos' (people). The name Nikolai is commonly used in Eastern European cultures, particularly in Russia and Greece, and has historical significance as the name of several notable figures, including Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra.

Nikolai currently ranks #605 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2016.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Nikola
Unisex Serbian

"Nikola means "victory of the people," derived from the Greek elements "nike" (victory) and "laos" (people), and is the Slavic…"

Global rank #2 View name
Nicolai
Boy Danish

"The given name 'Nicolai' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos', meaning 'victory of the people', with its linguistic root…"

Global rank #9 View name
Nicole
Unisex French

"The given name 'Nicole' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos' (Νικόλαος), meaning 'victory of the people', and is of…"

Global rank #15 View name
Nicolo
Boy Italian

"Nicolo means "victory of the people," derived from the Greek name Nikolaos, composed of "nike" (victory) and "laos" (people)."

Global rank #15 View name
Nikol
Girl Czech

"The given name 'Nikol' is derived from the Greek name 'Nikolaos' (Νικόλαος), meaning 'victory of the people', with its linguistic…"

Global rank #44 View name
Nikhil
Boy Hindi

"Nikhil derives from Sanskrit and means "complete" or "whole," composed of the prefix "nih" (complete) and "khil" (to lack), literally…"

Global rank #104 View name
Nicolau
Boy Greek

"Nicolau means "victory of the people," derived from the Greek elements "nikē" (victory) and "laos" (people), and is the Portuguese…"

Global rank #173 View name
Nicola
Unisex Italian

"Nicola derives from the Greek name Nikolaos, composed of "nike" (victory) and "laos" (people), meaning "victory of the people." The…"

Global rank #211 View name
Nichola
Unisex English (British)

"Nichola is a feminine form of Nicholas, derived from the Greek name Nikolaos (Νικόλαος), composed of "nike" (victory) and "laos"…"

Global rank #220 View name
Nikolay
Boy Russian

"Nikolay derives from the Greek name Nikolaos, composed of "nike" (victory) and "laos" (people), meaning "victory of the people." The…"

Global rank #276 View name
Nigel
Unisex English

"The given name 'Nigel' is derived from the Old English words 'nīgel' or 'nīgol', meaning 'cloud' or 'dark stranger', and…"

Global rank #277 View name
Nigil
Boy

"I don't have reliable etymological information for the name "Nigil" in standard reference sources."

Global rank #320 View name
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