Niki
Feminine diminutive form of the Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people".
Name Census estimates that about 6,439 living Americans carry the first name Niki. It is a predominantly female name (96.8% of registrations). The average person named Niki today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Niki births was 1972 (261 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Niki. 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
- • Although Niki is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 229 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
6.4K
~ 1 in 53,231 Americans
Peak year
1972
261 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1996 SSA rank
#8,684
Tracked since 1932
Gender
Gender distribution for Niki
Niki leans heavily female at 96.8% of total registrations, but 229 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Niki as a male name
- Ranked #8,684 in 1996
- 6 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1974 (15 births)
Niki as a female name
- Ranked #10,024 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1972 (248 births)
Popularity
Niki: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Niki from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 2,002 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Niki 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 Niki during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nikis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 38 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Niki, while Nebraska, Montana, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 97 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Niki
The name Niki has its origins in the Greek language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Greek word "nikē," meaning "victory" or "conquest." The name was initially bestowed upon children, particularly boys, as a symbol of strength, triumph, and success.
In ancient Greek mythology, Nike was the winged goddess of victory, often depicted alongside Zeus, the king of the gods. Her name was invoked in prayers and celebrations of military victories and athletic triumphs, reflecting the Greeks' reverence for excellence and achievement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Niki can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BCE. He mentioned a Spartan warrior named Niki who fought valiantly in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Niki. One of the most famous was Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), a French-American artist renowned for her larger-than-life sculptural works and her contributions to the Nouveau Réalisme movement.
Another prominent figure was Niki Lauda (1949-2019), an Austrian Formula One racing driver and aviation entrepreneur. He was a three-time F1 World Drivers' Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history.
In the world of sports, Niki Terpstra (born 1984) is a Dutch professional cyclist who won the prestigious Tour of Flanders in 2018 and the Paris-Roubaix in 2014.
Niki de Gunzburg (1904-1976) was a French socialite and fashion icon known for her influential style and her connections within the Parisian high society of the mid-20th century.
Niki Caro (born 1967) is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter, best known for directing the critically acclaimed films "Whale Rider" (2002) and "Mulan" (2020), the live-action remake of the Disney animated classic.
The name Niki has endured through the centuries, carrying with it the connotations of victory, strength, and triumph that were so valued in ancient Greek culture. Its rich history and evocative meaning have made it a popular choice for parents seeking a name with a strong and inspiring legacy.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Niki
People
Niki + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Niki 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
Niki: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Niki?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,439 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Niki 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 53,231 US residents.
Is Niki a common name?
We classify Niki as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7,264 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Niki most popular?
The single biggest year for Niki was 1972, when 261 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Niki is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Niki a female name?
Yes, 96.8% of people registered as Niki 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.
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.