Nicolaus

Nicolaus is a Latinized form of the Ancient Greek name Nikolaos, composed of the elements nike, meaning victory, and laos, meaning people, giving the overall sense of victory of the people. The name was widely adopted across medieval Europe, carried in large part by the veneration of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop whose legendary generosity made him one of the most popular saints in both Eastern and Western Christianity. The astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system, stands among the most historically significant bearers of this Latinized form. Related forms include Nicholas, Nikolaus, Nikolas, Nikolaos, and Klaus.