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Home › Baby Names Directory › Niklaus

Niklaus

♂ Boy

Pronounced NIK-lows /ˈnɪk.laʊs/Low

Meaning: Victory of the people, people's triumphLow

In 30 seconds: Niklaus is the Swiss German form of Nicholas, meaning victory of the people from Greek Nike (victory) and laos (people). The spelling Niklaus gives the classic Nicholas a distinctive Swiss and Germanic flavor.
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Origin LowGreek, Swiss German
MeaningVictory of the people, people's triumph
U.S. rank (2025)#1407 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births130 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2021
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,429

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202119792025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Niklaus is the Swiss German form of Nicholas, from the Greek Nikolaos combining nike (victory) and laos (people). Nicholas/Niklaus has been one of the most popular names in Christian Europe since the medieval period, spread by devotion to Saint Nicholas.

Niklaus is the standard Swiss German spelling, used in German-speaking Switzerland. In the United States it appears among families of Swiss and German heritage and has gained popularity as a distinctive alternative to Nicholas.

Did you know? The famous Swiss family of mathematicians, the Bernoullis, included members named Nikolaus — and Niklaus Wirth (1934-2024) was the Swiss computer scientist who invented the Pascal programming language, giving this spelling scientific prestige.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name: Nicholas

Variations

NicholasNikolausNikolaosKlaus

Nicknames

NikNickKlaus

Famous Bearers

  • ★Niklaus Wirth (1934-2024)
    Swiss computer scientist who designed the Pascal programming language and won the Turing Award

If you like Niklaus…

Nikolai— Russian form of same name
Nicholas— Standard English form
Lucian— Two-syllable European name of same elegant heritage
Kaius— a fellow Greek choice
Linus— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Niklaus

By themegreekclassictwo-syllablegermaneuropeanvictory
By meaningVictory

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does Niklaus mean?

Niklaus means victory of the people from Greek nike (victory) and laos (people), the Swiss German form of Nicholas.

Is Niklaus different from Nicholas?

Niklaus is the Swiss German spelling while Nicholas is the standard English form. Both share the same Greek origin.

How do you pronounce Niklaus?

Niklaus is pronounced NIK-lows with two syllables.

What are nicknames for Niklaus?

Nicknames for Niklaus include Nik, Nick, and Klaus.

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