Niklaus is the Swiss German form of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos, which means "victory of the people", from nike, victory, and laos, people. In America the name is best known from Niklaus Mikaelson, the vampire antihero of The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off The Originals. In the United States Niklaus entered the top 1000 in 2019, peaked at number 844 in 2021, left the top 1000 again in 2023 and stands at number 1407 in 2025.