Unisex name · since 1993
Nihal
Since 1993, U.S. Social Security records show 825 babies named Nihal, peaking in 2025. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,798 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,973 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 825
- born since 1993
- 2010s
- peak decade
825 babies have been named Nihal since 1993, making it today's #2973 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nihal has been recorded 825 times among boys since 1993, currently ranked #2973 nationally and more common than 79% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1993 to 2025.
- #5,798 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,973 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 825 born since 1993
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nihal ranks #5,798 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,973 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 825 born since 1993, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5,798 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,973 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 825
- born since 1993
- 2010s
- peak decade
Nihal's 825 recorded births place it above 87.24% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 5 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Nihal compares
825 Top 35% higher than 65% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Nihal's all-time total is 124% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Nihal | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 825 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 42 | 34 | 22,252 |
Nihal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nihal splits its recorded history at 2010: 66% of all births land in the more recent half, 34% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1996 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 42 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nihal popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1993–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 42
- Annual births at peak, across 33 years of records
Nihal popularity over time - girls
238 total births recorded since 1998 (Nihal as girls' name)
Nihal by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (343 births, 42% of the file).
2010s was Nihal's strongest decade.
343 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 42% of all-time use.
Nihal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
- 2000s
2000s
235 births
- 2010s
2010s
343 births
- 2020s
2020s
201 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 343 births (42% of all-time use).
How Nihal 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 Nihal's total volume
Nihal by state
Where Nihal concentrates geographically, total births since 1993
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 194 | 23.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12 | 1.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 10 | 1.2% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 5 | 0.6% |
| #5 | New Jersey | | 5 | 0.6% |
194 of 825 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Nihal's data
- Nihal's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (343 total births) through the 2020s (201) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Nihals (194 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nihal
Nearby Names Like Nihal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nihal
Compare Nihal side by side: Nihal vs Nihar Nihal vs Nihaal Nihal vs Nihaan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Nihal
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nihal: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~32 yrs)
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, 1993–2025 (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 Nihal 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.