Nickolai, of Greek origin, means "victory of the people." It is a variant of the name Nicholas, which comes from the Greek 'Nikolaos.' Nickolai gained popularity in the 20th century and is often associated with figures like Nikolai Lenin, the Russian revolutionary leader, or Nikolai Gogol, the renowned Ukrainian-born Russian writer. In the Orthodox Church, St. Nikolai (St. Nicholas) is venerated as a patron saint of children, sailors, and several cities. The name Nickolai has been used in various languages and cultures, including German (Nikola), Dutch (Nicolaas), French (Nicolas), Italian ( Nicolò), and Spanish (Nicolás). It can also be spelled Nikolai or Nikolay, depending on the language.
The name Nickolai experienced a noticeable increase in popularity from the late 90s to early 2000s, with a peak of 31 births in 2015. However, it has since seen a decrease, with only 15 births recorded in 2023. Overall, there have been 512 babies named Nickolai from 1976 to 2023.