Total births
1,384
Boys' name · since 1913
Niel
Niel has 1,384 recorded births since 1913 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1958 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 1,384
- total births
- 1913–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 15%
- born in that decade
1,384 boys have been named Niel since 1913, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Niel has 1,384 recorded births among boys since 1913, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- 1,384 total births
- 1913–2025 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 15% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,384 boys have been named Niel since 1913, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2025.
- 1,384
- total births
- 1913–2025
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 15%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Niel was born in this single decade.
1958
Single peak year
26 babies were named Niel in 1958 - its busiest year on record.
Niel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Niel's full recorded timeline at 1967, 40% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 60% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2004, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1958 peak of 26 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Niel at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1958
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1913
Niel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (1958)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Niel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Niel's strongest decade.
213 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Niel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 58
1910s
58 births
- 1920s
1920s
109 births
- 1930s
1930s
154 births
- 1940s
1940s
169 births
- 1950s
1950s
213 births
- 1960s
1960s
168 births
- 1970s
1970s
136 births
- 1980s
1980s
129 births
- 1990s
1990s
86 births
- 2000s 73
2000s
73 births
- 2010s 61
2010s
61 births
- 2020s 28
2020s
28 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 213 births (15% of all-time use).
How Niel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Niel's total volume
Niel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Niel by state
Where Niel concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 24 | 1.7% |
| #2 | California | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 5 | 0.4% |
New York share of Niel's total US births 1.7%
Even split
24 of 1,384 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Niel? ▼
Niel has been given to 1,384 babies in the U.S. since 1913, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 26 babies were born in 1958, its single highest year.
When was Niel most popular? ▼
Niel was most popular in the 1950s decade with 213 total births. The single peak year was 1958.
Where is Niel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Niel are New York (24 births), California (10 births), Wisconsin (5 births).
How long has the name Niel been used? ▼
Niel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1913, spanning 113 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Niel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Niels, Nieves, Nieko, Niegel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Niel's data
- Niel's decade-level peak was the 1950s (213 total births); usage has since declined to 28 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Niels (24 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Niel
Nearby Names Like Niel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Niel
Niels Boy
#6213 1,462 births
Nieves Boy
595 births
Nieko Boy
#5770 325 births
Niegel Boy
29 births
Nieem Boy
25 births
Compare Niel side by side: Niel vs Niels Niel vs Nieves Niel vs Nieko
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Niel: Baby Name Since 1913 - 1,384 Births, Peak 1958." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/niel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Niel 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 June 2026.