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Nikolai

Boy name · 8 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Nikolai: 8 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 4 births in 2000.

Nikolai is the Slavic and Scandinavian form of Nicholas, itself from the Greek Nikolaos, meaning “victory of the people.” Perhaps the most famous bearer is the Russian author Nikolai Gogol, whose works such as *Dead Souls* blended realism with the surreal. In music, composer Nikolai Rimsky‑Korsakov shaped Russian classical tradition, while the inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla (often anglicised as Nikolai) revolutionised electrical power. The name shares its root with Saint Nicholas, the 4th‑century bishop who inspired Santa Claus, and through him, places like St Nicholas Abbey in Barbados. A notable variant, Nicolas, is more common in Scotland, but Nikolai has gained quiet popularity as a distinctive, international alternative to the traditional Nicholas.