Given name & surname
Niklas
“of the victorious people”
Niklas is a variant of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Niklas is a variant of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Niklas is a variant of Nicholas. An origin associated with Nicholas is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1976. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Niklas is a variant of Nicholas. The history of Nicholas gives this family its wider story. Nicholas’s Christian associations include Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop of Myra in Lycia, about whom virtually nothing factual is known.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Niklas through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,711
- 1,711 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 90 babies
- 2025
- 10
- #8,060 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −43%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 10 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,060 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 42.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 90 in 2000. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,711 as a first name in 2020; 254 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Niklas’s family of names
In Danish usage, Niklas has a diminutive in Nick. Niklas shares a linguistic root with Nicholas. In German usage, Niklas has a related form in Nicola.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Niklas has relatives in 7 languages.
10 related names in 7 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Nicholasvariant · English
- Nikolasvariant · German, Swedish
- Nickdiminutive · Danish
- Nicolavariant · German, Italian
- Nikolausvariant · German
- Nicklasvariant · Swedish, Danish
- Niclasvariant · Swedish, German
- Nikklaslikely variant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Niklas
- Niklas SüleGerman association football player (born 1995)
- Niklas LuhmannGerman sociologist, administration expert, and social systems theorist (1927-1998)
- Nick Bostromphilosopher and writer (born 1973)
- Niklas MoisanderFinnish footballerborn 1985
- Niklas StarkGerman footballerborn 1995
- Niklas Landin JacobsenDanish handball playerborn 1988
- Niklas DorschGerman footballerborn 1998
- Niklas LarsenDanish cyclist, born 1997
- Niklas KronwallSwedish ice hockey playerborn 1981
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Niklas, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nikkos
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Nyshaun
>99% boys
Naser
“one who offers his support”
>99% boys
Nicolas
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Nickalaus
>99% boys
Joran
“one who works the earth; a farmer” · “jehovah is exalted”
>99% boys
Niraj
“resembling a lotus”
>99% boys
Navin
“a pleasant, lovely woman” · “one who is strong-willed”
>99% boys