Nikolai
Meaning: “Victory of the people”
About the name Nikolai
Nikolai is a boy name with Russian roots, meaning “Victory of the people”. It is related to Nicholas, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Nikolai ranked #605 for boys in the US, with 469 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 2016. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Nikolai were boys.
Etymology
Equivalent to Nicholas, which comes from Ancient Greek, meaning “victory” + “people”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Nikolai”, “Nicholas”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #605
- In 2015
- #476
- Babies in 2025
- 469
Popularity of Nikolai, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Nikolai
- Niko
Names similar to Nikolai
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.