Nils

Nils - A very unique male name



  Nov 06,2026      Abigail Adams, Editorial writer   

Nils at a glance

Nils is ranked #3392 among boy baby names in 2017, with 7 births in 2017. It peaked in 1934 at #1023 and first appeared on the charts in 1915.

Rank in 2017
#3392
Births in 2017
7
Peak year
1934 (#1023)
First appeared
1915
Trend
#4164 in 2012 → #3392 in 2017 (Rising)
Popularity
1 in 229,941 boys
Visitor rating
5.0/5 (4 recent votes)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026

Nils appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1365. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Nils and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Nils? 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 Nils. The baby boy name Nils was given to 7 baby boys in 2017, ranking #3392 on the national boy baby name top chart.

Must Try: Find A Perfect Name Based On Your Last Name...

With that position 1 in 229,941 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Nils peaked in popularity 92 years ago in 1934 on position 1023.



Famous with this name

Nils Clauss
Nils
Nils Poppe


How would you rate Nils, 1-5?

Rating: 5.0/5 (4 recent votes)


Nils is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Nils is currently topping the baby name charts in Minnesota at position #677 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #677.

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 Nils is where you live.


Comment and discuss




Nils origin and meaning

Nils is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables. We couldn't find any information about what this name means. To see famous people named Nils, pop culture references for the name Nils and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Nils

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

Nels / Niles / Niels / Nyles /

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)


Year Rank
20173392
20144267
20134155
20124164
20103685
20083741
20063636
20033397
20023269
20012290
19992381
19983520
19972301
19953414
19942766
19933501
19922382
19912147
19903347
19882916
19852103
19832171
19822478
19811816
19802381
19752117
19731719
19711474
19701319
19691190
19681322
19661145
19651334
19641123
19631295
19621715
19611477
19591440
19581281
19571725
19561238
19551223
19541162
19531441
19501277
19491177
19481275
19471433
19461376
19451229
19441385
19431458
19411573
19401597
19391570
19381067
19371426
19361314
19351652
19341023
19331285
19321252
19311719
19301473
19291570
19281448
19261506
19241731
19231544
19171532
19161710
19151365

Chart position per state (table view)


State Rank
Minnesota677

Even more about Nils


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 Nils 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 Nils?

1 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.

Recommended articles


New data stories


#
On chart
1934
Peak year
Male


Popularity Score™

Name Nils
Gender Male
Popularity 1 in 229,941
Letter count 4
Syllable count 1
Year first discovered 1915
2017 births +7

About Us

What's BabyNameScience.com? America's Baby Name Authority — publishing baby name data since 2014. We have gathered trends and insights for every baby name in America: 33,709 names from 330,785,903 births recorded between 1910 and 2025, plus 21,247 names rated by 161,918 recent votes. From Mary (#1 in 1910) to Olivia (#1 in 2025), we help you find the perfect name for your baby.

Try our free Smart Name Finder

Rather than random suggestions or alphabetically sorted lists we'll give you smart suggestions based on your input and preferences. Give it a try!

  Try Now