Nicolas is the French and Spanish spelling of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos, and means "victory of the people". Saint Nicholas of Myra, the bishop behind Santa Claus, made the name popular across Europe, and actor Nicolas Cage is its best-known American bearer. Nicolas ranked 137th in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 134 in 2003 and has stayed in a narrow band around 180 to 200 since 2015, standing at number 177 in 2025.