Nicholas Explained

Nicholas
Caption:Saint Nicholas of Myra
Gender:Male
Meaning:Victory of the people
Language origin:Greek
Related Names:Miklós, Mikalai, Nicander, Nicanor, Niccolò, Nickolas, Nico, Nicol, Nicola, Nicolaas, Nicolae, Nicolao, Nicolas, Nicolau, Nicolay, Nicole, Nicolle, Nikita, Niklas, Nikola, Nikolai, Nikolaos, Nikolas, Nikolaus, Nikolla, Nikollë, Nikos

Nicholas is a male name, the Anglophone version of an ancient Greek name in use since antiquity, and cognate with the modern Greek Greek, Modern (1453-);: Νικόλαος, . It originally derived from a combination of two Greek words meaning 'victory' and 'people'. In turn, the name means "victory of the people."

The name has been widely used in countries with significant Christian populations, owing in part to the veneration of Saint Nicholas, which became increasingly prominent in Western Europe from the 11th century. Revered as a saint in many Christian denominations, the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican Churches all celebrate Saint Nicholas Day on December 6. In maritime regions throughout Europe, the name and its derivatives have been especially popular, as St Nicholas is considered the protector saint of seafarers. This remains particularly so in Greece, where St Nicholas is the patron saint of the Hellenic Navy.[1] [2]

Origins

The name derives from the Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Νῑκόλᾱος|translit=Nikólaos.[3] It is understood to mean 'victory of the people', being a compound of two Greek words, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: νίκη, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: nī́kē 'victory'[4] and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: λᾱός, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: lāós 'people'.[5] An ancient paretymology (a false etymology) of the latter element, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: λᾱός, is that it originates from Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: λᾶς, (a contracted form of Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: λᾶας,), meaning 'stone' or 'rock'.[6] This is in reference to the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha from Greek mythology. As the sole survivors of a catastrophic deluge, they were able to repopulate the world by throwing stones behind them, over their shoulders, while they kept marching on. The stones formed men and women where they landed. The name became popular through Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, the inspiration for Santa Claus, but it predates said bishop by several centuries: the Athenian historian Thucydides for example, mentions that in the second year of the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) between Sparta and Athens, the Spartans sent a delegation to the Persian king to ask for his help to fight the Athenians; a certain Nikolaos was one of the delegates.[7]

The customary English spelling Nicholas, using a ch, as though the word were spelled in Greek with a chi, first came into use in the 12th century and has been firmly established since the Reformation, although the spelling Nicolas is occasionally used.

In Scotland, until the late nineteenth century, fishing communities used Nicholas as a female name.[8] [9]

Male variations

Variations for males include:[10] [11]

Uncoded languages: Nicolás, Uncoded languages: Nicu, Uncoded languages: Colás

Nik

Nik

Female forms

Female forms include:[10]

Николина (Nikolina), Николета (Nikoleta), Никол (Nikol), Нина (Nina)

Nikol, Nikoleta, Nikola, Nicol

Klasina, Klazina, Nicole, Nicolien, Nicolet, Nicoline

Nikoline

Nicole/Nichole, Nicola/Nichola

Colette, Coline, Nicole, Nicolette, Nicoline, Cosette

Nikol, Nikole, Nikola, Nicole, Nicola

Νίκη (Níkē, a conflation with Níke), Νικολέτα (Nikoléta), Νικολίνα (Νikolína)

Nikolett

Nicoletta, Nicole, Nicolina

Николина (Nikolina)

Nilsine, Nicoline

Nikola

Nicole

Niculina, Nicoleta

Nicola, Nicholas (Lowlands 18th/19th century)

Nikolija (archaic), Nikolina, Nikoleta

Nikola, Nikoleta

Nika

Nicol, Nicoleta, Nicoletta, Nikol, Nicole.

People known as Nicholas

Single name (rulers, popes, patriarch and antipopes)

Given (first) name

Nobility

Saints

Surname

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Greece . St. Nicholas Center . https://web.archive.org/web/20221214230902/https://www.stnicholascenter.org/around-the-world/customs/greece . 14 December 2022 . en-us.
  2. Book: English . Adam C. . The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus: The true life and trials of Nicholas of Myra . 2012 . Baylor University Press . Waco, Texas (USA) . 978-1-60258-634-5 . 165–191 . https://archive.org/details/saintwhowouldbes0000engl/page/172/mode/2up . Death Is Only the Beginning.
  3. News: Saint Nicholas: The story behind the legendary figure that inspired the modern-day Santa . en . Newshub . 2023-01-02.
  4. .
  5. .
  6. .
  7. Book: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0247:book=2:chapter=67&highlight=nicolaus . History of the Peloponnesian War . Thucydides . 2.67. At the Perseus Project digital library.
  8. Web site: Details for the forename Nicholas . www.whatsinaname.net.
  9. Web site: Forenames: Ambiguous names . ScotlandsPeople . Gov.UK . Names that, today, we would normally associate with boys were occasionally (mainly in the North of Scotland) given to girls and vice versa, for example, Nicholas..
    • For an example of such use for females, see this description of a 1754 case of an executed woman, Nicholas Cockburn: Book: Bennett . Rachel E. . Capital Punishment and the Criminal Corpse in Scotland, 1740–1834 . December 2017 . Palgrave Macmillan . https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481730/ . en . Scottish Women and the Hangman's Noose. 93–119 . 10.1007/978-3-319-62018-3_4 . 978-3-319-62017-6 .
  10. Web site: Nicholas. Behind the Name.
  11. Web site: Nikolai. Nordic Names.
  12. http://www.turukdergisi.com/Makaleler/551162954_13.Z.Kirillova%2064-70.pdf Makaleler

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