Ziering was born in Norwalk, California, of part Norwegian descent. On July 4, 1997 she married Ian Ziering. After 4 1/2 years of marriage, Ian filed for divorce on February 28, 2002. Nikki Ziering converted to Judaism before marrying Ian and still considers herself Jewish. Ms. Ziering went by the name Nikki Schieler before marrying Ian; since their marriage in 1997, she has gone by the name Nikki Ziering.

In the summer of 2005, she appeared in the British reality television series Celebrity Love Island, where she had a fling with British actor Paul Danan. Their relationship made headlines in the British Press after the couple shared a bed together in the resort, leading to rumours and speculation that they had sex. The rumours have neither been confirmed nor denied by Ziering or Danan.