Niki
Niki was the 8214th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 627th with 248 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,022 places. More babies were named Niki in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Nikki) pet form of Nicole/Nicola · English, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #8,214 girls, up 3,621 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1972248 babies
- Total since 1880
- 7,277babies recorded
What does the name Niki mean?
Niki is a spelling of Nikki, pronounced the same way, so it shares Nikki's meaning and origin.
Nikki is a 20th-century spelling of Nicky, a pet form of Nicole, Nicola and related names. Nicole is the French feminine of Nicolas (Nicholas), from Greek nikē, "victory", and laos, "people". Wikipedia notes Nikki is also used for other names, and separately as a Punjabi name meaning "little one". Nikki was most popular in the US around 1970.
νίκη (Greek, “victory”)λαός (Greek, “people”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Nicole, Nicky, Nicola, Nichole.
See also: Greek names, names that mean victory.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nikki', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Nikki (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Niki popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 229 since 1945.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,214 | 13 |
| 2020 | #11,835 | 8 |
| 2010 | #4,374 | 34 |
| 2000 | #2,532 | 60 |
| 1990 | #1,500 | 104 |
| 1980 | #829 | 190 |
| 1970 | #956 | 133 |
| 1960 | #1,591 | 50 |
| 1950 | #1,025 | 80 |
| 1940 | #2,078 | 16 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Niki, counting every spelling?
Niki is a spelling of Nikki, a name family that had 57 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 57 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikki | 44 | #3,504 | 272 |
| Niki | 13 | #8,214 | 74 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Niki?
13 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Niki (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Niki born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 646 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Niki.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Niki?
About 6,500 people born in the US named Niki are alive today, with a median age of 46; half are between 34 and 54. That makes Niki mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Niki by state
How common Niki was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.6×). In 49 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Niki: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Niki, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Niki
What does Niki mean?
Niki is a spelling of Nikki, which means “pet form of Nicole/Nicola” (English, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Niki?
Niki was the 8214th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 627th with 248 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,022 places. More babies were named Niki in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Niki a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Niki in the US.
Where is Niki most popular?
In 2021–2025, Niki was most common in California (0.02 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and New York.