Nehki
A feminine name of Native American Arapaho origin meaning "woodland flower".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nehki. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nehki today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nehki births was 2004 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nehki. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nehki. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2004
5 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2004 SSA rank
#12,650
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Nehki: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nehki by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nehki during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nehki
The name Nehki has its origins tracing back to the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq, around 4000 BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian word "ne-ki," which translates to "the one who brings life" or "the life-giver." This name is believed to have been associated with fertility deities or deities of childbirth in the Sumerian pantheon.
In the Sumerian cuneiform writings, the name Nehki has been found inscribed on clay tablets, often in reference to religious rituals or ceremonies honoring these fertility deities. Some scholars have also suggested that the name may have been used as a personal name, particularly for individuals born during times of bountiful harvests or those who were considered blessings to their families.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Nehki was a Sumerian priestess who lived around 2800 BCE. She is known for her involvement in the restoration of the ancient temple of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Her name is etched on a clay cylinder seal, which has been a valuable archaeological find in understanding the religious practices of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Nehki was a Sumerian scribe who lived around 2500 BCE. He is credited with the creation of several literary works, including the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature. His name is mentioned in colophons (inscriptions at the end of written works) as the author or copyist of these ancient texts.
In the later Babylonian period, around 1800 BCE, there are records of a Nehki who served as a high-ranking official in the court of King Hammurabi. He is believed to have been involved in the administration and enforcement of Hammurabi's famous code of laws, known as the Code of Hammurabi.
Another notable figure with the name Nehki was a Sumerian astronomer and mathematician who lived around 1700 BCE. He is credited with developing advanced techniques for tracking the movements of celestial bodies and making astronomical calculations. His contributions laid the foundation for the development of astrology and the study of the night sky in ancient Mesopotamia.
While the name Nehki is not as commonly used today, it remains an important part of the cultural heritage and history of the ancient Sumerian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Its meaning and association with fertility, life, and creation have made it a significant name in the study of ancient religions and societies.
People
Nehki + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nehki as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nehki: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nehki?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nehki going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Nehki a common name?
We classify Nehki as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nehki most popular?
The single biggest year for Nehki was 2004, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nehki is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nehki in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nehki a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nehki in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Nehki still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nehki in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nehki can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Nehki?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Nehki, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.