What are Christmas associated with? At first, children will say that with the gifts that Saint brings. Santa Claus. It is the name Mikołaj that we will take a closer look at today, because it fits perfectly into the current holiday season.
The name Mikołaj appeared in Poland already in the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, it gained popularity among clergy and noble families, while in the 17th century it was intended for the nobility. The situation changed in the 19th century. Then it began to occur in the lower social classes.
The name Nicholas is associated with Saint. Nicholas, who was bishop of Myra in Lycia. The Catholic Church recognized him as the patron saint of children and the poor. The fairy-tale character used during Christmas is based on this saint.
The name Mikołaj is extremely popular in Poland. In 2025, 138,618 men had this name. In 2024, the name Mikołaj was given as many as 3,644 times. In turn, in the first half of 2025, 1,511 boys received themw.
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The name Nicholas comes from the Greek words “nike” and “laos”. They mean “victory” and “people” respectively. So we translate them as “winner of the people” or “leader of the people to victory”.
It is also worth mentioning that the original form of the name Mikołaj was Nicolaus. Over the years, other forms were also created, such as Nikolai or Mikułaj.
We assign the following diminutives to the name Mikołaj: Mikołajek, Mikuś, Miki, Mikołaszko, Mikoś, Mikołka, Mikoś, Mikunio.
Santa Clauses celebrate their name day on December 6, i.e. on “Mikołajki”. On this day we commemorate Saint. Nicholas. Then gifts are given to children. At this time, many cities organize events.
Men named Nicholas are extremely ambitious. They set goals for themselves and consistently pursue them. They can cope with any obstacle because they are not afraid of any adversity and they can really sacrifice a lot.
Mikołaj is an intelligent and bold man who has extensive knowledge in various areas of life and willingly uses it. May also demonstrate artistic and leadership skills. He is completely confident in his abilities, nothing will extinguish his enthusiasm for action.
However, men bearing this name are not very communicative. They are cautious about making new acquaintances, and it is difficult to be tender in relationships – they show their feelings with restraint. That’s why not everyone will have the courage to live with them.
