Nikola

{{about|the given name|the motor company|Nikola Corporation|other uses}}

{{Infobox given name

| name = Nikola

| image = Popularity of name Nikola.svg

| image_size =

| pronunciation = {{IPA|sh|nǐkola|lang}}

| gender = masculine (predominantly) and feminine

| meaning = victory of the people

| region = Eastern Europe

| language = Slavic

| languageorigin = Greek

| alternative spelling = {{Cyrl|Никола}}

| nickname = Niko, Nikolica, Nidžo, Nikolče, Nikša, Nikica, Nikulitsa, Nino, Kole, Kolyo, Kolyu

| related names = Miklos, Mikołaj, Mikuláš, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicolas, Nikolaos, Nicolau, Nicolay, Niccolò, Nikolay, Nikolaj, Nick, Nico, Nicolina, Nicole

| name day ={{OldStyleDateNY|6 December|19 December}}

| derived = Nikolaos

| popularity = Popular name

| footnotes =

}}

Nikola ({{Cyrl|Никола}}) is a given name which, like Nicholas, is a version of the Greek Nikolaos (Νικόλαος) and it means "the winner of the people".{{Cite web |title=Najljepša imena za zimske bebe |url=https://www.index.hr/mame/clanak/najljepsa-imena-za-zimske-bebe/2619029.aspx |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=www.index.hr |language=hr}}{{Cite book |last=Čilaš Šimpraga, Ivšić Majić and Vidović |title=Rječnik 500 najčešćih suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena |publisher=Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje |pages=50 |language=Hr}} It is common as a masculine given name in the South Slavic countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia), while in West Slavic countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia) it is primarily found as a feminine given name. There is a wide variety of male diminutives of the name, examples including: Niko, Nikolica, Nidžo, Nikolče, Nikša, Nikica, Nikulitsa, Nino, Kole, Kolyo, Kolyu.

The spelling with a K, Nikola, usually indicates Slavic origin, while Nicola usually indicates Italian origin.

Statistics

Serbia: male name. 5th most popular in 2011, 1st in 2001, 1st in 1991, 5th in 1981, 9th pre-1940.{{cite web|url=http://pod2.stat.gov.rs/ObjavljenePublikacije/Popis2011/Najcesca%20imena%20i%20pezimena.pdf|publisher=Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia|script-title=sr:Најчешћа имена и презимена|year=2011|language=Serbian|pages=96–97}}
Croatia: male name. 32,304 (2011),{{Croatian Census 2011 | url = http://web.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2011/results/censusnames.htm | accessdate = 2013-09-08 | title = Names and surnames in Republic of Croatia }} 26,986 (2021){{Croatian Census 2021 | url = http://web.dzs.hr/Eng/censuses/census2021/results/censusnames.htm | accessdate = 2024-04-05 | title = Names and surnames in Republic of Croatia }}
Bosnia and Herzegovina: male name.
Bulgaria: male name.
North Macedonia: male name.
Czech Republic: 22,567 females and 740 males (2002).
Poland: female name.
Slovakia: female name.
Slovenia: male name. 2003 males and female name {{cite web | url=https://www.stat.si/imenarojstva#/names?name1=Nikola&gend1=M | title=Preveri, koliko prebivalcev Slovenije ima isto ime, priimek ali rojstni dan! }}

People with the name

=Arts=

Nikola Avramov, Bulgarian painter
Nikola Hajdin, President of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Nikola Kastner (born 1983), German actress
Nikola Kojo, Serbian actor
Nikola Martinovski, Macedonian painter
Nikola Nešković, Serbian painter
Nikola Vaptsarov, Bulgarian poet

=Music=

Nikola Mijailović (singer), Serbian opera singer
Nikola Resanovic, Serbian-American composer
Nikola Šarčević, Swedish thrash rock musician
Nikola Kołodziejczyk, Polish jazz pianist, composer and arranger

=Politics=

Vlgdrag or monk Nikola (d. 1327), Serbian nobleman
Nikola Altomanović (fl. 1371–73), Serbian prince
Nikola Skobaljić (fl. 1454), Serbian general
Nikola Frankopan, Croatian ban
Nikola IV Zrinski, Croatian-Hungarian ban and hero of Siege of Szigetvár
Nicholas I of Montenegro, King of Montenegro
Prince Nikola of Yugoslavia (1928–1954), Serbian prince
Nikola, Crown Prince of Montenegro (born 1944), Montenegrin prince
Nikola Gruevski, Macedonian Prime minister
Nikola Jorgic, Bosnian Serb soldier
Nikola Karev, Macedonian revolutionary
Nikola Kavaja, Serbian anti-communists
Nikola Kljusev, Macedonian politician
Nikola Ljubičić, Serbian politician
Nikola Mandić, Croatian politician
Nikola Milošević (politician), Serbian intellectual
Nikola Mushanov, Bulgarian politician
Nikola Pašić, Serbian politician and diplomat
Nikola Petkov, Bulgarian politician
Nikola Šećeroski, Serbian politician
Nikola Špirić, Bosnian Serb politician
Nikola Uzunović, Serbian politician
Nikola Vitov Gučetić, Ragusian statesman
Nikola Zhekov, Bulgarian military

=Science=

Nikola Moravčević, Serbian academic
Nikola Obreshkov, Bulgarian mathematician
Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American inventor and mechanical engineer
Nikola Moushmov, Bulgarian historian

=Sports=

Nikola Brejchová, Czech athlete
Nikola Dragović, Serbian basketball player
Nikola Grbić, Serbian volleyball player
Nikola Jakšić, Serbian water polo player, Olympic champion
Nikola Jerkan, Croatian footballer
Nikola Jokić, Serbian basketball player
Nikola Jovanović, Montenegrin footballer
Nikola Jović, Serbian basketball player
Nikola Jovović, Serbian volleyball player
Nikola Jurčević, Croatian footballer
Nikola Kalinić, Serbian basketball player
Nikola Karabatić, French team handball player
Nikola Katić, Croatian football player
Nikola Kotkov, Bulgarian footballer
Nikola Kovachev, Bulgarian footballer
Nikola Kovačević, Serbian volleyball player
Niko Kranjčar, Croatian footballer
Nikola Kuljača, Serbian waterpolo goalkeeper
Nikola Lazetić, Serbian footballer
Nikola Lončar, Serbian basketball player
Nikola Maraš, Serbian footballer
Nikola Mijailović, Serbian footballer
Nikola Milojević, Serbian football goalkeeper
Nikola Milošević, Serbian football midfielder
Nikola Mirotić, Spanish basketball player of Montenegrin descent
Nikola Nikezić, Montenegrin footballer
Nikola Nikić, Bosnian Serb footballer
Nikola Nimac, Croatian racer
Nikola Peković, Montenegrin basketball player
Nikola Petroff, Bulgarian wrestler
Nikola Pilić, Yugoslav Croat professional tennis player
Nikola Pokrivač, Croatian footballer
Nikola Rosić, Serbian volleyball player
Nikola Rybanská (born 1995), Slovak footballer
Nikola Soldo (born 2001), Croatian footballer
Nikola Stojić (born 1974), Serbian rower
Nikola Sudová (born 1982), Czech freestyle skier
Nikola Tsolov (born 2006), Bulgarian racing driver
Nikola Vignjević, Serbian footballer
Nikola Vlašić, Croatian footballer
Nikola Vučević, Montenegrin basketball player
Nikola Vujčić (born 1978), Croatian basketball player and team manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv
Nikola Žigić, Serbian footballer