Name Generator

How popular is the name Niki?

Births per year, rank history and how many Nikis are alive today.

Niki (female) is a shortened form of the name Nicola (and sometimes of Nicole). Although Niki itself was given to 3 babies in England and Wales in 2024 (ranked 5892nd as a registered name), most Nikis are registered as Nicola, which ranked 4201st in 2025 with 5 babies.

Most people called Niki are registered as Nicola, and share that name's profile: the Nicola you are most likely to meet is around 52 years old. Half of all Nicolas born in England and Wales are between 44 and 55, and there are at least 180,000 of them alive today. Only some Nicolas go by Niki.

How many babies are named Niki or Nicola each year?

Combined registrations of Nicola, Nikola, Niki. Figures before 1996 are estimates.

05k10k19601980200020201954: ~364 estimated (265-463)1964: ~2,311 estimated (1,649-2,972)1974: ~10,596 estimated (9,938-11,254)1984: ~4,490 estimated (3,361-5,619)1994: ~978 estimated (712-1,244)1996: 6351997: 5151998: 3941999: 3192000: 2572001: 2392002: 1902003: 1692004: 1402005: 1352006: 1722007: 2892008: 3572009: 3632010: 3722011: 3252012: 3032013: 3002014: 2892015: 2602016: 2182017: 1532018: 1162019: 862020: 782021: 722022: 572023: 372024: 272025: 14estimatedactual

Where does Nicola rank as a registered name?

1101001,0005,00019601980200020201954: ranked 971964: ranked 271974: ranked 31984: ranked 121994: ranked 581996: ranked 871997: ranked 1011998: ranked 1181999: ranked 1512000: ranked 1732001: ranked 1812002: ranked 2312003: ranked 2692004: ranked 3022005: ranked 3362006: ranked 3192007: ranked 2442008: ranked 2222009: ranked 2482010: ranked 2632011: ranked 2892012: ranked 3022013: ranked 3352014: ranked 3242015: ranked 3522016: ranked 4852017: ranked 7152018: ranked 8432019: ranked 1,0172020: ranked 1,1642021: ranked 1,2592022: ranked 1,2822023: ranked 2,6892024: ranked 2,2542025: ranked 4,201

Where does Niki rank as a registered name?

1101001,00010,000200020201996: ranked 2,3501997: ranked 2,7381998: ranked 1,9791999: ranked 2,7702000: ranked 2,4162001: ranked 3,9982002: ranked 2,8682003: ranked 2,7272004: ranked 3,7252005: ranked 2,9702006: ranked 4,1572007: ranked 3,2182008: ranked 3,3972009: ranked 2,0192010: ranked 3,5332011: ranked 5,7852012: ranked 4,8382013: ranked 3,5362014: ranked 4,0032015: ranked 2,9452016: ranked 3,6092017: ranked 2,9252018: ranked 3,1782019: ranked 4,0012020: ranked 3,8992021: ranked 3,1922022: ranked 3,5342023: ranked 3,2192024: ranked 5,892

Where this data comes from

Figures from 1996 onwards are the Office for National Statistics' annual baby-name registrations for England and Wales, which record every name given to three or more babies in a year. Figures before 1996 are estimates: the ONS published only top-100 rankings at ten-year intervals back to 1904, so counts for those years are modelled from the rankings, calibrated against Douglas Galbi's long-run research into English name frequencies, and shown with an uncertainty band. Estimates of living bearers combine these birth figures with national life tables and ONS mid-year population estimates.

One limit worth naming: these figures count names as registered at birth. Anyone who changes their name later in life - including trans people, and anyone who adopts a different name by deed poll or simply by use - is not reflected here. Birth registrations record where a name began, not the name a person lives with.

Chart: babies named Niki per year in England and Wales, 1954 to 2025, peaking at about 10,596 in 1974
Niki: births per year in England and Wales, 1954-2025. Free to share with a link back.

Common questions

Is Niki short for Nicola?

Yes - Niki is a shortened form of Nicola. It is also used for Nicole. Nikis are usually registered as Nicola at birth.

When was the name Niki most popular?

The full name Nicola peaked in 1974, when around 10,600 babies in England and Wales were given the name. Niki itself peaked as a registered name in 2009, with 12 babies.

How many people are called Niki?

There's no official count of people who go by Niki, because it's a nickname rather than a registered name. What we can say: at least 180,000 people registered as Nicola born in England and Wales are alive today, and some of them go by Niki.

How old is the typical Niki?

Most people called Niki are registered as Nicola. Most living Nicolas are between 44 and 55; the most common age is about 52.

Is Niki becoming more or less popular?

Declining: recent figures are a fraction of the 1974 peak.






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