Boys' name · since 1915

Nial

Nial has 144 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2024 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#15,031 of 45,481
all-time among boys
144
born since 1915
2020s
peak decade

Nial is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 144 have been recorded since 1915.

Social Security Administration records show Nial recorded 144 times among boys since 1915, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2024.

  • #15,031 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 144 born since 1915
  • 2020s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nial ranks #15,031 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 144 born since 1915, peaking in the 2020s.

#15,031 of 45,481
all-time among boys
144
born since 1915
2020s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Nial's 144 recorded births place it above 66.92% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Nial's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Nial splits its recorded history at 1989: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1921 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 11 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Nial popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2024

Last recorded 2024
Peak year (2024)
11
Annual births at peak, across 110 years of records
4681012 191519231952196019892007201820222024 11

Nial by decade

2020s is the heaviest window (37 births, 26% of the file).

2020s was Nial's strongest decade.

37 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Nial births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2020s at 37 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Nial? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 144 babies named Nial. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #15,031 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2024. Its busiest year on record was 2024, with 11 births.
Where does Nial sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nial ranks #15,031 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Nial most popular? ▼
Nial was most popular in the 2020s decade with 37 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
How long has the name Nial been used? ▼
Nial has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 110 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Nial? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Niall, Niam, Nian, Nia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

Keep exploring Nial

Nearby Names Like Nial

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nial

Niall Boy
#1703 2,094 births
Niam Boy
#1440 1,798 births
Nian Boy
#11763 11 births
Nia Boy
10 births
Niamke Boy
7 births

Compare Nial side by side: Nial vs Niall Nial vs Niam Nial vs Nian

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Ell
144 births · Peak 1920
Zigmond
144 births · Peak 1919
Zannie
144 births · Peak 1940
Winfrey
144 births · Peak 1932
Parvin
144 births · Peak 1918
Joeph
144 births · Peak 1986
Willi
144 births · Peak 1958
Alfonsa
144 births · Peak 1947

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Nial: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Nial draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.