Nikos

Meaning of Nikos

Nikos (/niˈkos/) is a Greek masculine given name that derives from the classical Nikolaos—an appellation composed of the elements nike, meaning “victory,” and laos, meaning “people.” As a concise, colloquial form, it encapsulates a semantic emphasis on communal triumph and has long been enshrined in Hellenic liturgical tradition, most notably through the veneration of Saint Nicholas. Employed by diasporic communities to maintain cultural continuity, Nikos today occupies a modest yet persistent place within the Anglo-American onomastic landscape—registering fourteen occurrences and ranking 910th among male newborn names in the United States in 2024. Its morphological transparency and phonological brevity confer upon the name both classical gravitas and contemporary succinctness, allowing it to bridge ancient heritage and modern identity with measured equanimity.