NIKHEF is an acronym for Nationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge-Energiefysica (National Institute for Nuclear and High energy physics). Nowadays this acronym is not used anymore and the name is changed to Nationaal instituut voor subatomaire fysica (National Institute for Subatomic Physics). The name Nikhef is preserved to maintain international name reputation (now only with a capital N).