Nicolas
Say it: NIK-o-las/ˈnɪ.kə.ləs/
BoyMeans victory of the people7 letters3 syllables
#211
in Ireland (2025)
#188 with spellings combined
25
babies in 2025
#186
best rank (2010)
432
babies since 1980
Up 57
10-year rank change
Nicolas through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #188 |
| 2024 | 18 | #238 |
| 2023 | 20 | #220 |
| 2022 | 25 | #200 |
| 2021 | 14 | #300 |
| 2020 | 14 | #299 |
| 2019 | 11 | #341 |
| 2018 | 19 | #254 |
| 2017 | 15 | #296 |
| 2016 | 21 | #237 |
| 2015 | 21 | #245 |
| 2014 | 22 | #246 |
| 2013 | 19 | #265 |
| 2012 | 20 | #260 |
| 2011 | 21 | #245 |
| 2010 | 34 | #186 |
| 2009 | 26 | #214 |
| 2008 | 16 | #275 |
| 2007 | 13 | #282 |
| 2006 | 3 | #595 |
| 2005 | 12 | #247 |
| 2004 | 3 | #506 |
| 2003 | 4 | #423 |
| 2002 | 10 | #235 |
| 2001 | 4 | #347 |
| 2000 | 5 | #312 |
| 1999 | 3 | #379 |
| 1997 | 5 | #303 |
| 1982 | 6 | #248 |
| 1980 | 3 | #321 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0. Spellings with and without fadas are combined; the CSO only recorded fadas from 2018.
★ What does Nicolas mean?
Victory of the people
Greek, from Nikolaos, via the French and Spanish forms of Nicholas.
Say it right
NIKolas
In French it is nee-ko-LAH, and in Spanish, as Nicolás, the stress falls on the last syllable.
The story of Nicolas
Nicolas is the French spelling of Nicholas, and Nicolás is the Spanish one. The name goes back to the Greek Nikolaos, made from nikē, victory, and laos, people. It is widely used in France, Brazil and Spanish-speaking countries.
The name owes much of its spread to Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra in what is now Turkey. He was known for giving to people in need, often in secret, and those stories later grew into the figure of Santa Claus.
In Ireland Nicolas first appears in the CSO records in 1980. It had most babies in 2010, with 34, when it reached number 186. The CSO counts Nicolas and Nicolás separately, and in 2025 there were 22 and 3, so together the name ranked number 188 while the main spelling alone was number 211.
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Sources
- Wiktionary: Nicolas (English proper noun)
- Wiktionary: Nicholas (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Nicolas (given name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
NicoNick
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolas | 22 | 418 |
| Nicolás | 3 | 14 |
In Northern Ireland
Not in the 2025 list. Best rank #241 (1999); 56 babies since 1999.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.