Nickea
A feminine name of uncertain origin and meaning, potentially a variant of Nikke or Nikkea.
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Nickea. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nickea today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nickea births was 1978 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nickea. 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 Nickea. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1978
7 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1984 SSA rank
#8,833
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Nickea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nickea from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 12 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Nickea remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nickea 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 Nickea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nickea
The name Nickea has its origins traced back to Ancient Greece, where it was derived from the Greek word "nikē," meaning "victory" or "triumph." This name was often bestowed upon children born during times of military triumph or cultural celebrations.
In the early days of ancient Greek civilization, around the 5th century BC, the name Nickea was associated with the goddess of victory, Nike. It was believed that naming a child after the victorious goddess would bring them good fortune and success in their endeavors.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Nickea can be found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who documented the life of a woman named Nickea from the city of Sparta. She was known for her courage and bravery during the Peloponnesian War.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals bore the name Nickea. In the 3rd century BC, Nickea of Cyzicus was a renowned Greek mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies.
During the Byzantine era, around the 6th century AD, Nickea of Constantinople was a prominent poet and scholar whose works were widely celebrated for their lyrical beauty and philosophical depth.
In the 12th century, Nickea of Antioch was a respected physician and herbalist who authored numerous treatises on the medicinal properties of plants and their applications in healing.
Another notable figure was Nickea of Athens, a skilled sculptor and artist who lived in the 15th century. Her intricate marble sculptures adorned many of the city's temples and public buildings, earning her widespread acclaim.
As the name Nickea spread beyond the borders of Ancient Greece, it gained popularity in various cultures and regions, often adapting to local linguistic variations and traditions.
People
Nickea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nickea 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
Nickea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nickea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nickea 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Nickea a common name?
We classify Nickea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 19 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nickea most popular?
The single biggest year for Nickea was 1978, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nickea is about 45 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 Nickea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nickea a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nickea in the SSA data are female. 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 Nickea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nickea 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 Nickea 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 Nickea as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Nickea, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.