Nicholas or
Nikolas or
Nicolas or Nickolas is a male
given name, derived from the
Greek name Νικόλαος (
Nikolaos), a compound of νίκη
nikē 'victory' and λαός;
laos 'people', that is,
victory of the people. The name became popular through
Saint Nicholas, Bishop of
Myra in
Lycia, the inspiration for
Santa Claus. The customary English version of spelling "Nicholas", using an "h", first came into use in the 12th century and has been firmly established since the
Reformation, though "Nicolas" is occasionally used.