Nihal

Nihal - A very unique male name

Nihal appeared on the charts for the first time in 2000 on position #3728. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nihal and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nihal? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Nihal. The baby boy name Nihal was given to 21 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2403 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 69,823 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nihal peaked in popularity 2 years ago in 2024 on position 2244.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Nihal, 1-5?

Nihal is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nihal is currently topping the baby name charts in California at position #1,030 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,030.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Nihal is where you live.

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Nihal origin and meaning

Arabic / Indian — two sources

Uncertain — Nihal is used both as an Arabic name and in India (Punjabi), with different traditional glosses in each tradition; US use draws on both communities, so no single derivation covers it

Nihal entered US data in 2000 and reached its highest use in 2024. With two genuine source traditions, it is best profiled as a two-source name rather than assigned to one.

Origin uncertain

Nihal is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Nihal, pop culture references for the name Nihal and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Nihal

We've found the following names that sound similar to Nihal, sorted by popularity.

Neil / Neal / Noel / Neel / Nile / Nael / Niall / Newell / Nyle / Nayel /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Nihal

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Nihal a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Nihal?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

nee-HAHL · /niˈhɑl/

Around the world

• Nihal (Arabic) — Used in Arabic with this Latin spelling
• Nihal (Punjabi) — Used for boys in Punjabi

Spellings and nicknames

• Nehal — Spelling variant; a separate entry

Famous bearers

None yet — the name first appears in the data in 2000, and its oldest bearers are still young.

Style

International

Why parents choose it

A cross-cultural name shared by Arab and South Asian families — gentle in sound, positive in its traditional glosses.

Worth knowing

• Glosses found online vary wildly; treat single-source 'meaning' claims with care