The exact entry analyzes the Greek source as νίκη, victory, and λαός, people. This is a lexical formation summary, not a prediction of a bearer’s success. The licensed Variant of Nikolas description is retained separately rather than presented as a meaning.
Origin
Greek name transmitted through Latin, French and Middle English.
The source traces Nicholas through Middle English, Old French and Latin to Ancient Greek Νικόλαος. Saintly associations and modern nationality are distinct from this transmission history.
English pronunciation
/ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/; /ˈnɪk.ləs/
Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The exact entry records full and compressed English readings. The syllable count depends on the selected reading. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2001
Girls
6
2253
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
2025
Boys
238 · preliminary
133
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2023
Boys
10 (rounded to 5)
2700
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
234
214
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2024
Boys
5
305
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Boys
22
190
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Boys
24
198
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2025
Girls
8
10917
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
3,115
112
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Language of use: English
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly documents given-name use; this is distinct from linguistic origin, nationality and ancestry. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Meaning: Victory and people, the Greek name elements.
Checked against cited source
The exact entry analyzes the Greek source as νίκη, victory, and λαός, people. This is a lexical formation summary, not a prediction of a bearer’s success. The licensed Variant of Nikolas description is retained separately rather than presented as a meaning. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Cole
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Colin
Checked against cited source
English given-name relationship. These spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Kolya
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Nick
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Nicko
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Nicky
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Nico
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry explicitly lists this pet form. The relationship can depend on family or linguistic tradition; it is not proof that every independent use of this spelling derives from Nicholas. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: Greek name transmitted through Latin, French and Middle English.
Checked against cited source
The source traces Nicholas through Middle English, Old French and Latin to Ancient Greek Νικόλαος. Saintly associations and modern nationality are distinct from this transmission history. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /ˈnɪk.ə.ləs/; /ˈnɪk.ləs/
Checked against cited source
Directly recorded English pronunciation of the exact given-name spelling. The exact entry records full and compressed English readings. The syllable count depends on the selected reading. The plain-text guide is approximate; a bearer’s preferred reading can differ. No audio reused. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Related name: Nikolai
Checked against cited source
Related English forms with a shared linguistic source; not interchangeable spellings or a nickname claim. Popularity counts remain separate.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Supporting evidence: Wiktionary: Nicholas’s Greek elements and shorter forms
Checked against cited source
The exact entry supports the meaning elements, transmission chain, listed variants and pet forms. Existing Colin and Nikolai relationships, and both full and compressed English readings, remain unchanged. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Syllables: 3 or 2 (documented English alternatives)
Checked against cited source
Count applies to the cited English reading(s) only, not to every language or personal reading. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Nickolas
Checked against cited source
The exact entry lists this alternative form. Its note says Nickolas and Nikolas are usually of non-English origin; spellings retain separate popularity records and pronunciations are not transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Nicolas
Checked against cited source
The exact entry lists this alternative form. Its note says Nickolas and Nikolas are usually of non-English origin; spellings retain separate popularity records and pronunciations are not transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Nikolas
Checked against cited source
The exact entry lists this alternative form. Its note says Nickolas and Nikolas are usually of non-English origin; spellings retain separate popularity records and pronunciations are not transferred. Credit: Wiktionary contributors; adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names. No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.