Nicolaas

Nicolaas is a masculine given name widely used in Dutch-speaking regions. It is the Dutch form of Nicholas, derived from the Greek Nikolaos, meaning “victory of the people.” The name has a long history in the Netherlands and surrounding areas and remains in use today in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, and among Afrikaans-speaking communities.

Variants and diminutives of Nicolaas include Nico as a common nickname. In other languages, similar names appear as Nicolas, Nikolaos, or Nicholas, with corresponding nicknames such as Nick or Niko.

Usage and cultural context have kept Nicolaas in circulation from medieval times to the present. It is found in church records, civil documents, and literary works, reflecting its established place in Dutch-speaking culture. The name is also encountered in modern contexts where Dutch or Flemish heritage is present.

Notable individuals with the name include Nicolaas Bloembergen (1920–2017), a Dutch-American physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1981 for work in nonlinear optics and laser spectroscopy. Beyond this, the given name appears in Dutch literature, science, and public life, illustrating its enduring presence in Dutch-speaking societies.