Holding steady, #4,857 for boys today.
Popularity of Nils since 1888
Babies named Nils per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1970, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Nils's real moment was 1888.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 7 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 143 |
| 1920s | 195 |
| 1930s | 286 |
| 1940s | 272 |
| 1950s | 315 |
| 1960s | 353 |
| 1970s | 310 |
| 1980s | 276 |
| 1990s | 316 |
| 2000s | 265 |
| 2010s | 226 |
| 2020s | 113 |
Meaning & origin
Nils has been in steady but very rare use in the United States since it first appeared in Social Security records in 1888, the same year it reached its peak rank at 4,857. In 2025, approximately 1 in 85,404 newborn boys was named Nils, reflecting its persistent obscurity in American naming culture. The name's trajectory is notably stable, never experiencing a revival or sharp decline over the past century. While no specific state emerges as a stronghold (top states are blank), Nils remains a classic Scandinavian import, popular in Sweden and Norway but a distinctive choice for U.S. parents drawn to Nordic heritage.
Nils is a Scandinavian and German short form of the name Nikolaus, the Germanic form of Nicholas. Nicholas derives from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning 'victory of the people' (from nike 'victory' and laos 'people'). In Sweden and Norway, Nils has been used as an independent given name since the Middle Ages, particularly common in Sweden where it was borne by several kings. The name was also brought to Germany and other parts of northern Europe.
“Nils” around the world
Where Nils lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
90
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Nils
Names that share Nils's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Ingrid, Astrid, Karin, Maja, Lena, Britta, Elin, Elli, Inger, Karine, Kerstin, Lisbeth, Magda, Maris, Marna, Nilsa, Pia, Signe, Siri, Thora, Thyra, Anneka, Annica, Berit, Blenda, Brita, Ebba, Edda, Glada, Katrine, Kisa, Leida, Linde, Lotta, Marit, Marja, Sanna, Svea, Tekla, Aanika, Calle, Disa, Kaja, Kalla, Kalle, Kjerstin, Lene, Lisbet, Malin, Nanna, Solveig, Sylvi, Tove, Viveca, Saga, Ane, Birgit, Dagny, Elfida, Fryda, Hedda, Kirstine, Kjersti, Margrete, Oline, Stina, Trine, Ulla, Uva, Valborg, Venda
Brothers: Lars, Karl, Erik, Sven, Anders, Albin, Arne, Axel, Bjorn, Einar, Eric, Evert, Hans, Henrik, Jansen, Johan, Karsten, Kristofer, Kristoffer, Leif, Magnus, Markus, Olaf, Ole, Oskar, Verner, Espen, Fredrik, Gillis, Jorgen, Kriss, Larsen, Mikkel, Peder, Rollo, Tage, Torben, Torsten, Viggo, Einer, Esten, Holger, Jesper, Jonerik, Kert, Kjell, Krist, Lauris, Lindberg, Olson, Per, Andrus, Aniken, Bertel, Brand, Esben, Frans, Havard, Hilmar, Joahan, Joakim, Kristjan, Laurens, Marte, Rasmus, Steen, Stein, Sten, Thielen
