Nicole is the French feminine form of the name Nicholas, which comes from the Greek name Nikolaos (Νικόλαος), meaning "victory of the people," from the elements nike (νίκη), meaning "victory" and laos (λαός), meaning "people". Nicole was first adopted by the English-speaking world in the early-mid 20th century and reached peak popularity at the end of the 20th century, although its popularity has fallen since then.