Meaning & History
Nikolaos is a Greek given name, a direct form of the name Nicholas. In Ancient Greek it is Νικόλαος (Nikolaos), derived from νίκη (nikē), meaning "victory," and λαός (laos), meaning "people," thus meaning "victory of the people" or "people's champion." The English equivalent is Nicholas.
Etymology
The name Nikolaos is a compound of two Greek elements: νίκη (nike), "victory," and λαός (laos), "people." The connotation is therefore "victor of the people" or "conqueror of people." In the New Testament, Nikolaos is mentioned as a proselyte of Antioch and one of the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). The 4th-century Saint Nicholas, known as Saint Nicholas of Myra, is the most famous bearer; according to legend, he saved three daughters from prostitution, leading to his association with secret gift-giving and eventually inspiring the figure of Santa Claus (from Dutch Sinterklaas).
Notable Bearers
Nikolaos has been the given name of many notable Greek figures, particularly in sports: Nikolaos Kaklamanakis (born 1969), a Greek windsurfer who won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and lit the torch at the 2004 Athens Olympics; Nikolaos Andreadakis, a Greek athlete; Nikolaos Balanos, an architect who restored the Parthenon; and Nikolaos Georgantas, a Greek discus thrower. Others include the Canadian soccer player Nikolaos Giantsopoulos (born 1994) and the shooter Nikolaos Levidis.
Variants and Descendants
Variants of Nikolaos include the Ancient Greek Nicolaos, Greek Nikolas, and the Latin Nicolaus. Diminutives are Nik and Nikos. Related names in other languages include Nikollë (Albanian), Nikolai (Russian), and Mikalai (Belarusian). Greek surname descendants include Nikolaidis, Nikolaou, and the patronymic Papanikolaou (meaning "father of Nikolaos").
- Meaning: "victory of the people"
- Origin: Greek, Ancient Greek
- Type: given name
- Usage: Greece
- Related: Nicholas (English), Nicolaus (Latin)
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Nikolaos