Nikolaas

Nikolaas is a Dutch masculine given name, a variant of Nicholas. It derives from the Greek Nikolaos, formed from Nike (victory) and laos (people). The name is associated with Saint Nicholas and has been used in the Netherlands and Flanders for centuries.

Variants of Nikolaas include Nicolaas and Nico, with related forms such as Nikolaos (Greek), Nicolas (French/Spanish), and Nick in informal use. In Dutch-speaking regions, Nikolaas is commonly shortened to Nico or Niek in everyday speech. The name remains most prevalent in the Netherlands and Belgium, and can appear in immigrant communities around the world.

A notable bearer of the name is Nikolaas Tinbergen (1907–1988), commonly known as Niko Tinbergen, a Dutch ethologist and Nobel Prize laureate. He shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries concerning the organization of animal behavior, contributing to the foundation of modern ethology alongside Konrad Lorenz and Karl von Frisch.

In contemporary usage, Nikolaas is considered traditional and somewhat formal in Dutch contexts, with its common nickname forms often preferred in everyday life. The name continues to appear in Dutch and Flemish naming inventories, reflecting cultural ties to Saint Nicholas and historical naming practices.