name
Nikola
NEE-koh-lah
ˈniːkoʊlɑːListen
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Syllable breakdown
Nikola
Name meaning and origin
- Origin
- Macedonian (North Macedonia)
- Meaning
- the South Slavic masculine form of Nicholas, from Greek Nikolaos meaning victory of the people, composed of nike (victory) and laos (people, folk); Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop of Lycia in what is now Turkey, who was renowned for his secret generosity and miracle-working, is one of the most universally venerated saints in the Orthodox Christian tradition and the historical prototype of the Santa Claus legend; in North Macedonia and across the Balkans Nikola is among the most enduringly popular masculine names, and notable bearers include Nikola Tesla — born in the Serbian-majority territory of what is now Croatia — whose name is spelled identically in Macedonian and Serbian Cyrillic; in North Macedonia names based on Nikolaos continue across generations as a mark of Orthodox faith and Slavic heritage
- Gender
- male
- Also spelled
- Nikolaj, Nikolas
Pronunciation tips
Unlike the English Nicholas, the Macedonian Nikola is always masculine. Stress falls on the first syllable.
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