Nicolaos

Nicolaos is an ancient Greek masculine name composed of the elements nikē, meaning victory, and laos, meaning people, giving the overall sense of victory of the people. It was borne by several early Christian saints, most notably Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop whose legendary generosity gave rise to the figure of Santa Claus. The name spread widely across Europe through veneration of that saint, producing a vast array of cognates and variants including Nicholas, Nikolaos, Nikolai, Nikolas, Klaus, and Colin.