Given name & surname
Nikolay
“of the victorious people”
Nikolay is a variant of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Nikolay is a variant of Nicholas. One Greek interpretation is “of the victorious people.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Nikolay 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 1992. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Nikolay 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
Nikolay through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 507
- 507 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 32 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #6,342 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,342 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 8.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 32 in 2010. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,746 as a first name in 2020; 110 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.
Nikolay’s family of names
Nikolay has a related form in Nicholas. In Yiddish usage, Nikolay is a Roman-alphabet rendering of ניקאָלײַ. In German usage, Nikolay as a surname has a related form in Nikolai.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Nikolay has relatives in 3 languages.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 42
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Nicolasequivalent
- Nikolasequivalent
- Nikolaequivalent
- Nikolaosequivalent
- Nikolausequivalent
- Nilsequivalent
- Nielsequivalent
- Nikosequivalent
Show 34 moreShow fewer
- Nikolozequivalent
- Mykolaequivalent
- Nicolaasequivalent
- Nicolaeequivalent
- Nikolajequivalent
- Nicolinoequivalent
- Nicolauequivalent
- Nikolaoequivalent
- ნიკოლოზequivalent
- Николаequivalent
- Nickelequivalent
- Мікалайequivalent
- Николайequivalent
- Міколаequivalent
- Nicolòequivalent
- Mikalaiequivalent
- 니콜라이Korean
- Nikolajsequivalent
- Nikulásequivalent
- Миколаequivalent
- Mikolaequivalent
- Mikołajequivalent
- Mikławšequivalent
- Nicolásequivalent
- Nikolajusequivalent
- Mikulášequivalent
- Nickolayequivalent
- Nikolazequivalent
- Νίκοςequivalent
- Nicolaesequivalent
- Miklavžequivalent
- Niccolòequivalent
- Nicolayequivalent
- Miklósequivalent
People named Nikolay
- Nicholas II14th and last Emperor of Russia (1894–1917)1868–1918
- Nicholas I of RussiaThe 11th Emperor of Russia, 1825–1855 (lived 1796-1855)
- Nikolai LobachevskyRussian mathematician (1792–1856)
- Nikolai Rimsky-KorsakovRussian composer (1844–1908)
- Nikolay NekrasovRussian poet, writer, critic, editor and publisher (1821–1878)
- Nikolay KaramzinRussian writer, poet, critic1766–1826
- Nikolai NoskovSoviet and Russian singer and song writerborn 1956
- Nikolai BukharinRussian revolutionary and politician (1888–1938)
- Nikolay ChernyshevskyRussian writer and nihilist philosopher (1828–1889)
Characters named Nikolay: Nikolai Rostov (War and Peace).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Nikolay, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Nikkos
“of the victorious people”
>99% boys
Niko
“of the victorious people”
98% boys · 2% girls
Nikshay
>99% boys
Nekoda
85% boys · 15% girls
Joran
“one who works the earth; a farmer” · “jehovah is exalted”
>99% boys
Navin
“a pleasant, lovely woman” · “one who is strong-willed”
>99% boys
Nyshaun
>99% boys
Niyon
>99% boys