Fun Facts About the Name Nica
- 233 babies named Nica: U.S. records list 233 babies given the name Nica from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nica Mean?
Nica is a short feminine name whose basic sense is "victory." It goes back to the Greek word νίκη (nike), "victory," the element behind the goddess Nike and behind compound names such as Nikolaos and Nikephoros. Greek speakers used Nike itself as a woman's name, and the Latinized form Nica appears alongside it.
For most of its modern life, however, Nica has been a familiar form rather than a name chosen on its own. In Italian it shortens Domenica, from Latin dominica, "of the Lord" (the source of domenica, "Sunday"), and also Veronica. In Romanian, Nică is a pet form of Nicolae and Nicoleta; in the South Slavic languages, Nica shortens Nikola and Nikolina. The Nicola- names all come from Greek Nikolaos, "victory of the people."
The literal meaning therefore depends on the longer name behind it: "victory" from the Greek word itself, "victory of the people" through Nikolaos, or "of the Lord" through Domenica. The ending also matches the affectionate Slavic suffix -ica and the Romanian -ică, both common in pet names.
Nica Name History & Origins
Names formed with Greek νίκη, "victory," reach back to the classical period. The goddess Nike embodied victory, and the word was a productive element in personal names: Nikolaos, Nikephoros, Nikandros, and the feminine Nike. Greek speakers carried such names around the Mediterranean, and Latin speakers took many of them over, Nica among them.
In the Christian centuries the same root spread through the cult of saints. Devotion to Saint Nicholas helped carry Nicholas and its feminine forms Nicola, Nicole, and Nikolina across Europe. Nicaea in Asia Minor, whose name is usually derived from the same "victory" word, was the site of the council of 325 that produced the Nicene Creed, so the root stayed familiar in Christian vocabulary.
In everyday use Nica lived on mainly as a pet form. Italian families shortened Domenica and Veronica to Nica; Romanian speakers used Nică for Nicolae and Nicoleta; South Slavic speakers used Nica for Nikola and Nikolina. The name also became a surname in Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe.
English speakers meet Nica most often as a nickname or a family name rather than a formal first name, and in Spanish-speaking countries it usually shortens Verónica. In Central America, nica is separately a casual word for a Nicaraguan; that use has nothing to do with the personal name.
How Popular is the Name Nica?
Nica has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2008. Its best rank was #5,819 in 1969.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,638 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #10,355 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #13,711 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #14,417 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #13,353 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #9,919 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #15,048 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #12,148 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #18,406 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #13,794 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #10,222 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #14,502 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #13,932 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #13,251 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #15,152 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #8,542 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #12,936 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #15,065 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #11,328 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #12,611 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #12,430 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #13,846 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,467 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #7,815 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #8,740 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #8,257 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #9,256 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #7,866 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #7,933 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #8,022 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #6,183 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #5,819 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #6,383 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Nica Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Nica's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nica's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.