Nikolas is a Greek, German and Slavic spelling of Nicholas, which comes from the Greek Nikolaos and means "victory of the people", from nike, victory, and laos, people. Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron of children and sailors, gave the name to Santa Claus, and the K-spelling keeps that Greek heritage visible. Nikolas ranked number 358 in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 301 in 2004 and has slipped to number 719 in 2025.