Nikodem — Name Day, Meaning & Origin

Male Polish given name · 6388 births in 2024 (rank 1)

A Polish male name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".

Pronunciation

/ɲi.ˈkɔ.dɛm/ · nyee-KAW-dem

Meaning

Nikodem is the Polish form of Nicodemus, built from Greek elements meaning "victory" and "people". It can therefore be read as "victory of the people" or "one who prevails among the people".

Origin & history

The name has ancient Greek roots, and its popularity in Christian culture is tied to Nicodemus of the Gospels — a Pharisee who came to speak with Jesus by night and later helped lay him in the tomb. Long known in Poland, it has enjoyed a marked revival in recent decades, climbing into the top tier of names given to boys.

Etymology

The name joins Greek νίκη (níkē) — "victory" — with δῆμος (dêmos) — "people, nation". The same níkē element appears in names such as Nika and Nikola.

Declension (Polish cases)

Nominative	Nikodem
Genitive	Nikodema
Dative	Nikodemowi
Accusative	Nikodema
Instrumental	Nikodemem
Locative	Nikodemie
Vocative	Nikodemie

Name day (imieniny)

In Poland, Nikodem celebrates its name day on 1 June, 3 August, 15 September.

Diminutives

Nikoś, Nikodemek, Niki, Kodek.

Forms in other languages

Equivalents in other languages include Nicodemus (English, Biblical Latin), Nicodème (French), Nicodemo (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese) and Nikodim (Russian).

Notable people named Nikodem

Nikodem Dyzma — Title character of Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz's famous satirical novel.

Nikodem Caro — Chemist who co-developed a method for the industrial fixation of nitrogen.

Popularity

Nikodem is currently among the most popular names given to baby boys in Poland.