Nicholai is of Russian origin, derived from the Greek name Nikolaos. It means "victory of the people." The name has been popularized by figures such as St. Nicholas, the historic 4th-century Christian bishop who became the model for Santa Claus. In literature, it's known through F. Scott Fitzgerald's character Jay Gatsby, whose real name was James Gatz but he changed it to the more imposing Nicholai. The name is composed of six letters: N-I-C-H-O-L-A-I, with no silent consonants or vowels. It rolls off the tongue smoothly and has a strong, somewhat exotic sound, often associated with intelligence and sophistication.
The name Nicholai appears to have gained popularity over time, with a significant increase in births from the late 1980s onwards. The peak years were around 2005-2008, with a high of 50 births in 2010. However, there has been a recent decline, with only 12 births recorded in 2023. In total, over the period from 1962 to 2023, Nicholai was given as a name to 994 babies.