Niecy is a 20th-century American invention — derived from the affectionate "niece" and the *-cy* feminine suffix; popularized as a personal name in Black American communities. **Niecy Nash-Betts (born Carol Denise Ensley, 1970)** — **American actress and television personality; **Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for *Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story* (2023) — her first Emmy after two prior nominations**. **Made her name as the wisecracking Deputy Raineesha Williams on Comedy Central's *Reno 911!* (2003-2009, 2020-2022)**; played Desna Simms on TNT's *Claws* (2017-2022) for four seasons; *The Rookie: Feds* (2022-2023) as Special Agent Simone Clark. **In 2023, married Jessica Betts in the first publicly known same-sex marriage among major Hollywood Black couples; their March 2023 *Essence* magazine cover became a Black LGBTQ+ landmark**. **Co-author with Betts of *And Just Like That* (2024)**. **Host of the original *Clean House* (2003-2010), which won a Daytime Emmy in 2010 for Outstanding Reality Program**. **Niecy** is also an affectionate diminutive of names ending in *-niece* (Denise, Bernice, Janice).
Featured throughout 2000s-2020s American television.
Niecy reduces to eight — the number of Dahmer Emmy.