Unisex name · since 1895

Nile

Since 1895, U.S. Social Security records show 3,696 babies named Nile, peaking in 2021. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#2,215 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#1,840 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
3,696
born since 1895
2010s
peak decade

Nile currently ranks #1840 among unisex names in America, with 3,696 babies recorded since 1895.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nile has been recorded 3,696 times among boys since 1895, currently ranked #1840 nationally and more common than 87% 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 1895 to 2025.

  • #2,215 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • #1,840 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
  • 3,696 born since 1895
  • 2010s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nile ranks #2,215 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,840 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,696 born since 1895, peaking in the 2010s.

#2,215 of 45,481
all-time among boys
#1,840 of 13,930
2025 SSA year
3,696
born since 1895
2010s
peak decade
0%100%Median name50%86.7%
Nile vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
Upper archive tier
All-time archive position

Nile's 3,696 recorded births place it above 95.12% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

17 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.

How Nile compares

3,696 Top 16% higher than 84% 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

Nile's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.

Metric Nile Median boys name (Takari) #1 boys name (Liam)
All-time total births 3,696 369 358,536
Peak-year births 129 34 22,252

Nile's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Nile's full recorded timeline at 1966, 68% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 32% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1895, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2021 peak of 129 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Nile popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (2021)
129
Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
050100150 189519211936195119661981199620112025 86

Nile popularity over time - girls

370 total births recorded since 1975 (Nile as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 370 births
010203040 19751993199920042009201520202025 8

Nile by decade

2010s is the heaviest window (648 births, 18% of the file).

2010s was Nile's strongest decade.

648 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.

Nile births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2010s at 648 births (18% of all-time use).

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

How Nile 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 Nile's total volume

Nile vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -50, 4.8%-70, 5.3%-26, 10.9%-124, 3.2%-146, 4.3%-140, 3.4%-115, 4.6%-52, 5.2%-115, 3.4%-142, 2.7%-145, 1.7%-140, 2.8%-113, 1.9%-111, 2.9%-43, 7.1%Nile-131, 3.5%Nile
Nile vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Nile by state

Where Nile concentrates geographically, total births since 1895

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Nile
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
224 6.1%
#2 Iowa
178 4.8%
#3 New York
175 4.7%
#4 Florida
56 1.5%
#5 Georgia
55 1.5%
#6 Texas
49 1.3%
#7 Pennsylvania
35 0.9%
#8 New Jersey
33 0.9%
California share of Nile's total US births 6.1%
Even split

224 of 3,696 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.

Nile appears in 17 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Nile? ▼
3,696 babies have been named Nile since 1895. All-time, it sits at #2,215 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. In 2025, it ranks #1,840 of 13,930 among boys. The peak year was 2021 with 129 births.
Where does Nile sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nile ranks #2,215 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,840 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the 2025 SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Nile most popular? ▼
Nile was most popular in the 2010s decade with 648 total births. The single peak year was 2021.
Where is Nile most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nile are California (224 births), Iowa (178 births), New York (175 births).
Is Nile a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Nile is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 3,696 births, and as a girl's name it has 370 births.
How long has the name Nile been used? ▼
Nile has been recorded in Social Security data since 1895, spanning 131 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Nile? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Niles, Nils, Nilan, Nilo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Nile's data

  • Nile's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (648 total births) through the 2020s (584) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
  • California records the most Niles (224 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 Nile

Nearby Names Like Nile

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

Niles Boy
#2484 4,455 births
Nils Boy
#4864 3,083 births
Nilan Boy
#2931 461 births
Nilo Boy
#3773 404 births
Nilson Boy
#7353 356 births

Compare Nile side by side: Nile vs Niles Nile vs Nils Nile vs Nilan

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar popularity rank to Nile

Jennings #1839
4,878 births · Peak 1926
Stephan #1841
27,681 births · Peak 1989
Olin #1838
9,929 births · Peak 1921
Mendel #1842
2,942 births · Peak 2024
Lonnie #1837
94,486 births · Peak 1947
Kennedy #1843
7,457 births · Peak 1964
Azaire #1836
351 births · Peak 2023
Maximillian #1844
5,968 births · Peak 1999

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Nile: 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, 1895–2025 (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 Nile 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.