Diminutive of Nicole, from Greek Nikolaos meaning 'victory of the people.'
Nikki began as a diminutive of Nicole or Nicholas, both derived from the Greek Nikolaos — a compound of nike ("victory") and laos ("people"), meaning "victory of the people." Saint Nicholas of Myra, the fourth-century bishop whose generosity toward children transformed into the folklore of Santa Claus, made the name one of the most widely used in Christendom. Nicole, its French feminine form, spread through Europe's aristocratic networks and arrived in English use by the twentieth century, with Nikki emerging as the inevitable affectionate short form.
What is remarkable about Nikki is how completely it has escaped diminutive status to stand on its own. Nikki Giovanni, the poet and civil rights activist whose work defined a generation of Black American literary consciousness, made the name synonymous with fierce intelligence and lyric power. Nikki Sixx, co-founder of Mötley Crüe, gave it rock-and-roll edge — notably, he adopted the name, born with a different one, suggesting Nikki's power as a chosen identity.
S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Today Nikki functions equally as a standalone name and a nickname, usable for any gender though predominantly given to girls.
Its double-k spelling gives it visual energy; its two syllables are crisp and friendly. It is a name that announces itself without effort — which is perhaps why so many people named Nikki end up being the most memorable person in any room.