Where it comes from
nike (victory) + laos (people)
Also known as
Nikolai/Nicolai (Russian/Scandinavian), Nicolas (French/Spanish), Niccolò (Italian), Klaus (German short form)
Fun Fact
Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for secret gift-giving, is the historical basis for the modern figure of Santa Claus, itself a corruption of the Dutch 'Sinterklaas', another variant of this same name.