Fun Facts About the Name Nixie
- 454 babies named Nixie: U.S. records list 454 babies given the name Nixie from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nixie Mean?
Nixie means "female water sprite" and comes into English from German Nixe, the female water spirit of Germanic folklore. German uses a matched pair: Nix for the male being and Nixe for the female, both from Old High German nihhus, a word related to Old English nicor (a water monster) and Old Norse nykr. The English -ie ending is a diminutive suffix, so Nixie carries the sense of "little nixe" or "water sprite." The older origin of the Germanic root is not settled; one suggested link is to an ancient root meaning "to wash," but this remains uncertain. The name is not related to Nicole or Nicola; the similar sound is coincidental.
Nixie Name History & Origins
The Germanic word behind the name is old. Old High German nihhus and Old English nicor are cognates, and nicor appears in Old English verse for a creature of lakes and marshes; the same root survives in the modern English word "nicker," a water demon. In Norse tradition the corresponding figure is the nykr, and related beings remain in Scandinavian folklore as näcken and nøkken. In German-speaking lands, Nix and Nixe were the usual terms, and Nixen were traditionally pictured as human above the waist and often fish-tailed below, dwelling in rivers and lakes.
English took the German word and adapted it with the familiar -ie ending, giving nixie (also spelled nixy), the ordinary English term for a water fairy. German Romantic writers used Nixen in poetry and tales, part of that period's wider interest in water spirits, which kept the figure familiar to English readers as well. The given name Nixie is a modern, uncommon feminine name drawn from this folklore word rather than from an older personal-name tradition; it stands alongside other nature words used as girls' names. It continues to appear mainly as a rare given name and as a word for the water spirit itself.
How Popular is the Name Nixie?
Nixie 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 2011. Its best rank was #4,655 in 1919.
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 | #5,512 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2024 | #5,899 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2023 | #6,102 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2022 | #6,394 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2021 | #6,607 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #8,796 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #5,934 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #7,324 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #6,228 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #6,837 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #5,257 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #8,378 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #5,786 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #6,278 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2011 | #5,022 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #7,428 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #8,347 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #8,432 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #12,392 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #7,408 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #8,719 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #9,126 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #11,086 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,310 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #13,102 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #11,504 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #15,174 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1921 | #5,669 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #5,559 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1919 | #4,655 | 6 | 0.0005% |
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 Nixie 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 are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Nixie's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nixie's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.