Nick

Nick is a masculine given name and a common nickname for Nicholas. The given name Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, from nike 'victory' and laos 'people'. The shortened form Nick has been in use since the Middle Ages and remains popular in many English-speaking countries. In contemporary usage, Nick appears both as a nickname and as a legal given name in its own right, particularly in informal contexts.

Nick is most common in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and it often reflects a familiar or informal tone. Related given names include Nicky, Nico, and Nickolas; in other languages, the formal equivalents include Nicolas, Nikolas, Nikolaos, and Nikolai.

Notable people named Nick include Nick Carter, an American singer with the Backstreet Boys; Nick Jonas, American singer and actor; Nick Cave, Australian singer-songwriter; Nick Cannon, American television host and actor; and Nick Offerman, American actor and writer. The name is also borne by many other athletes, writers, and public figures.

In fiction, characters named Nick include Nick Carraway, the narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and Nick Wilde, a fox introduced in the animated film Zootopia.

See also variations such as Nicky and Nico, and related names Nicholas and Nikolaos.