I love Nameberry. I am definitely a name nerd. I spend way more time on this site than anyone would think is sane or healthy, just to look through names. BUT no matter where I look (here, or elsewhere, usually more than once) I CANNOT find my own name. I know it’s and unusual name but I know it wasn’t picked out of thin air (my mom’s not creative enough and I happen to know daddy heard the name when he worked for the state of Alaska). My name is Nickelle. I can’t find it listed at all on most sites (it isn’t here on nameberry) and the few sites that [name]DO[/name] in fact list it, have NO information on it. Not origin, nor meaning, nor history of any sort! Does ANYONE know anything about the name Nickelle? I’m starting to feel a little annoyed. I just want a little information on my name–I’m a name nerd. That’s how I roll 
I’m sorry I’ve never heard it. Are you sure its not just a combination of [name]Nicole[/name] and [name]Michelle[/name]. [name]Both[/name] are popular names and I could see somebody putting them together.
If it was such a simple thing as combining two names I’d think that would be listed on some of these name sites. If you’re asking if that’s how I GOT my name, then no. My dad worked for the state of Alaska when I was little and it was the name of a person in some file he was looking through. He thought it was pretty and suggested it. My mom didn’t like it at first and said so. But when I was born she said I just “looked like a Nickelle” and so Nickelle I was (mn, [name]Jean[/name], after my mom’s mom who was incidentally one of the most amazing people ever). My mo said she’s only ever met one other Nickelle in her life, when I was 6 weeks old, in Seattle. There was a little girl who was 13 named Nickelle.
I have never met any other Nickelle’s myself and anyone who hears it tells e its very “unusual” and “different” and “pretty” but I’ve never come across anyone who has heard it. I suppose it is possible it is just a combination but I would have thought if it were that simple it might be listed on some name site or another.
But the person who named the Nickelle that was in that folder your dad saw, Might’ve made it up.
It could be a foreign word for something. They could have being immigrants and named her after a Nickel [pretty sure that’s an american coin?] or just thought it was a pretty name.
They could’ve decided [name]Nicole[/name] was too common so made up Nickelle. Or wanted a [name]Nicholas[/name] and thought of it as an alternative.
They could’ve mushed [name]Nicole[/name] and [name]Michelle[/name] like PP suggested. Maybe it’s not listed as a name smush on other sites because it never got popular.
You probably wouldn’t find lots of name smushes on naming websites. If Twilight hadn’t done [name]Renesmee[/name], there probably still would’ve been a [name]Renesmee[/name] somewhere without her name on naming boards.
Sorry that it’s frustrating you so much!
Sorry that is frustrating! With a name that uncommon, I suspect the person who your dad saw the name from had their own story. All the suggestions are plausible for that story, [name]Nicole[/name] + [name]Michelle[/name], Nickel made into more of a name, a desire to make [name]Nicole[/name] more distinctive (a little related to [name]Nicole[/name] + [name]Michelle[/name]), a desire to honor a [name]Nick[/name], maybe something else. Or, maybe their own parent heard it on someone too! And the person in turn before them had a story.
In terms of others with the name, I haven’t met any, but I did immediately think of actress [name]Nichelle[/name] Nichols, who played Uhura on the original [name]Star[/name] Trek. Name sites give [name]Nichelle[/name] as a blend of [name]Nicole[/name] and [name]Michelle[/name], but who knows what her own story was. If I’m doing the math correctly on estimating your age and the age of your dad’s co-worker, being named to honor that actress (with a twist, of course) would be plausible enough. But you can do your own math on that.
Also, just FYI, I work in education, and there is a series of computer programs to teach children social skills featuring a little girl named Nickel. I haven’t actually used it, so I don’t know if it’s presented as her full name or a nickname for [name]Nicole[/name] or Nickelle or something else.
If you google the name (not name Nickelle, just Nickelle), quite a few people do come up, so there are others out there.
One website I had never seen before shows its frequency of giving, which is awesome, but only does so for the last 13 years, for whatever reason. It had blips in 1999 and 2001, being given to 6 and 7 babies those years, respectively.
Best wishes as you search!
[name]Hi[/name] Nickelle. I’m so happy you love nameberry! And I’m so sorry we don’t include your name, though I have to say that I have never heard it before either and I have to agree that I think it’s a smoosh – a combination of two perfectly appropriate names. The elle suffix is a common one in feminizations and the [name]Nick[/name] prefix is, well, you know, as a name nerd – it’s a variation on [name]Nicholas[/name]. As [name]Nicholas[/name] is an ancient Greek name that means “people of victory,” it has spawned any number of variations both masculine and feminine, and Nickelle is one of them. My guess would be that the -elle at the end is simply inspired by [name]Michelle[/name] or [name]Rochelle[/name], as a way of making the name a little different, so I would take Nickelle’s entire derivation and meaning from root name [name]Nicholas[/name] rather than [name]Michelle[/name] or [name]Michael[/name].
In any case, the short answer to your question is: It exists because you have it, along with that mysterious lady in the Alaska files. But with your permission I’m glad to add it to the nameberry database!
I think it is probably just made-up. The person who was named Nickelle when your dad heard/saw it most likely their parents made it up. “Made-up names” were probably common when you were born as they are today. I did a little Google research and found that 7 babies were named Nickelle in 2001 (ranked at #13073) and 6 were named that in 1999 (ranked at #13923).
I wonder if it was someone where the dad or grandpa were named [name]Nick[/name] and they wanted to name the girl after him so…they called her Nickelle…to girl it up?
[name]Pam[/name], I would be happy to have my name added to the nameberry database so you’re more than welcome to do so!
And thank you for all the responses. Only other name nerds would understand my frustration over wanting to understand the source of my name. Especially since I never did get to ask daddy further questions as he died when I was eight and my name wasn’t an issue to me at that time. So I really appreciate all of the responses and suggestions!
And I do suppose that made up names were every bit as common in 1985 when I was born as they are today. I used to really dislike my name but as I grew up I really appreciated having a name that was different and unique. I felt like I stood out among the crowd which was always important to me. But despite coming to appreciate its uniqueness, I still wanted some history on it! It was sort of an obsession lol so thank you again to all of the suggestions! It is very appreciated.
I think it is a feminine form of [name]Nicholas[/name] or a “smoosh” of [name]Nicole[/name] and [name]Michelle[/name]. I had a friend in high school whose mother loved the names [name]Nicole[/name] and [name]Michelle[/name], but she wanted something a little more “unique” and decided to call her Micole [name]Nichelle[/name].
name still hasn’t been added into the database and I was kind of looking forward to existing somewhere!
Aww …just read all of these posts…I think it is nice that [name]Pam[/name] is adding it to nameberry…
I have not heard of Nickelle. It might have originally been a reference to mining the element Nickel in Alaska? Where the word Nickel was feminised with the elle? In this case it would be a nature/ [name]Earth[/name] name.
I am wondering if the name could also refer to Nickel the coin? Money being a lucky reference?
They are my best suggestions to meaning.
Sorry, Nickelle, indeed I forgot until now. (In fact, I forgot that I even commented on your post the first time!) Nickelle is now added to the database and I hope that makes your name feel more real.
Thanks [name]Pam[/name] it does I know it’s silly but never being able to find my name anywhere on any name site or in any name book is a source of annoyance and frustration for me. Being added to the best naming site out there really perks me up lol
You’re not alone Nickelle! After 28yrs, my name, Gwenelle, is not in any books or on any sites listing names. But I’m perfectly ok with that. The “elle” can be added to anything!