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Home › Baby Names Directory › Nicki

Nicki

♀ Girl

Pronounced NIK-ee /ˈnɪk.i/High

Meaning: Nicki is a pet form of Nicole or Nicola, feminine forms of Nicholas, from the Greek nike ('victory') and laos ('people') — 'victory of the people'. The -i ending gives a bright, casual look.Medium

In 30 seconds: A breezy short form: Nicki comes from Nicole, 'victory of the people' (said 'NIK-ee').
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Origin MediumGreek, English
MeaningNicki is a pet form of Nicole or Nicola, feminine forms of Nicholas, from the Greek nike ('victory') and laos ('people') — 'victory of the people'. The -i ending gives a bright, casual look.
U.S. rank (2022)#10193 ↗ Rising
2022 U.S. births10 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)≈ 6,083

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197219232022

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Nicki is a pet form of Nicole and Nicola, from Greek roots meaning 'victory of the people'. As Nicole climbed the charts, breezy nickname spellings like Nicki flourished, cresting around 1972. It faded as the fuller Nicole held on.

Uncommon as a full name now, it keeps a bright, casual feel. Snappy and warm.

Did you know? Nicki is Nicole's snappy -i nickname — 'victory of the people' — a casual short form that peaked around 1972 as Nicole soared.
Overall data confidence 65%
References — Nicki — Pet form of Nicole/Nicola; Greek 'victory of the people'

Variations

NikkiNickyNicole

Nicknames

NicNickie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nicki…

Nikki— a like spelling of the same nickname
Nicole— the full name Nicki shortens
Nicola— a similar Nicholas feminine
Vicki— a like breezy -i mid-century name

Explore names like Nicki

By themegreekvintagenickname-name1970s

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Nicki mean?

Nicki is a pet form of Nicole or Nicola, from Greek roots meaning 'victory of the people'.

How do you pronounce Nicki?

It's said NIK-ee /ˈnɪk.i/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Nicki a boy or girl name?

Nicki is used as a girl's name.

Is Nicki making a comeback?

Nicki keeps some life as a nickname; as a full given name it reads as a mid-century short form.

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