nicholas
n. countablen. a common name for a man or a boy. People often shorten it to Nick or Nicky when they are being friendly.
n. a masculine given name of Greek origin, meaning 'victory of the people'. It is widely used across Christian cultures and frequently appears in various diminutive forms.
My friend Nicholas lives in London.
The office manager, Nicholas, sent an email to everyone about the upcoming holiday party.
Historical records indicate that Nicholas was a popular name among the Byzantine nobility before spreading throughout Western Europe during the Middle Ages.
From Middle English Nicholas, from Old French Nicholas, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος (Nikólaos), from νίκη (níkē, “victory”) + λαός (laós, “people”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As a proper noun, it is almost always capitalized.
Last updated May 2, 2026