In its many forms, Nicholas is one of the most common names in Europe[1]. It’s a name that evokes winter, snow, and gifts – associated as it is with St Nicholas (Santa Claus). But there’s more to this name's origin – from its connection to the sea to its ancient Greek roots.
Let’s find out:
- where this name comes from
- what it means
- what is the history behind it
- fun trivia associated with the name Nicholas and its variants
Origin and Meaning of the Name
Nicholas is a Greek name. Its original form Νικολαος (Nikolaos) comes from Greek νικη (nike) "victory" and λαος (laos) "people" – probably meaning something like "victory of the people" or “victorious people”. The first element could also be interpreted as the name of the goddess of victory, Nike. Then, the name’s meaning would be “Nike’s people” or “people of Victory”.
Nike of Samothrace is a famous sculpture of the Greek goddess of victory in the Louvre (marble, 2nd century BC)
It’s interesting to note that the word laos in Greek originates from the root word “λας” (-las). It’s also found in “λα-τομεῑο”, which means “stone, rock”. This is because in Greek mythology, it was believed that all humans were formed from the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrha – the only survivors of a devastating flood – threw over their shoulders. The stones turned into humans and this is how the earth was repopulated after the great flood according to Greek myth.
History
St. Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia. According to legend, he once rescued the daughters of a poor man from lives of poverty and prostitution by providing them with dowries so that they could marry. He formed the basis for the figure known as Santa Claus (created in the 19th century from Dutch Sinterklaas) – the bringer of Christmas presents.
Due to the renown of the saint, this name has been widely used in the Christian world where children were often traditionally named after popular saints to ensure their protection. St Nicholas is the patron saint of (among others):
- children
- brides
- sailors
- merchants
- wolves
- the falsely accused
- Greece
- Russia
Although Nicolas was very popular among monks in Anglo-Saxon England, it became a common favorite only after the Norman Conquest (1066). As the name of a popular Catholic saint, the name Nicholas became less common in Protestant countries after the Reformation, but never disappeared entirely from use. The name was and continues to be extremely popular in Russia in its Russian form Nikolay. This was the name of two Russian tsars, including the last tsar – Nicholas II.
In Greece, the name and its derivatives are especially popular in maritime regions, as St. Nicholas is considered the protector of seafarers.
The Roman Catholic and the Anglican
Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name
day for "Nicholas". The Eastern Orthodox Church is divided on this –
some Orthodox countries celebrate on December 6, while others celebrate on
December 19.
Trivia
- Nicholas Flamel was the name of a scribe, manuscript-seller, and famous alchemist, who lived in Paris in the 14th century.
- The name gained the ‘ch’ spelling around the 12th century. It became firmly established at the time of the Reformation, although Nicolas was still used.
- Nicholas Nickleby is the name of the main character in Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name.
- Famous
people include actor Nicolas Cage (1964-), Russian painter Nicholas
(Nikolay) Roerich (1874-1947), and writer Nicholas Sparks (1965-).
- A book[2] from the 1900s describes the character of the name Nicholas as: “Popular, amusing, hard-working, competent. Is inclined to be selfish and to worry unduly.”
- The Greek popularity of the name Nicholas and its variants is alluded to in the 2002 comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Niki seems to be the name of half of the main character’s family.
- Unrelated-sounding names can also be variants of Nicholas. Colin used to be a medieval form of Nicholas. Now it’s used exclusively as an independent given name[3]. Famous Colins include Colin Craven from the novel The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett, Colin Creevey from the Harry Potter series, and British actor Colin Firth.
[1] https://forebears.io/europe/forenames
[2] The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445
[3] Scottish Christian Names. Leslie Alan Dunkling. First published 1978. Johnston & Bacon, Stirling. Pg. 108
