Total births
4,455
Boys' name · since 1897
Niles
Niles has 4,455 recorded births since 1897 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3107
- among boys today
- 4,455
- born since 1897
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
4,455 babies have been named Niles since 1897, making it today's #3107 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Niles has been recorded 4,455 times among boys since 1897, currently ranked #3107 nationally and more common than 78% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1897 to 2025.
- #3107 among boys today
- 4,455 born since 1897
- 1990s peak decade
- 78% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Niles is currently the #3107 boys' name in America, more common than 78% of boys - 4,455 born since 1897, peaking in the 1990s.
- #3107
- among boys today
- 4,455
- born since 1897
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other boys
Niles vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3107
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 78% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Niles was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
80 babies were named Niles in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Niles compares
4,455 Top 13% higher than 87% of 14,294 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
Niles's all-time total is 12x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Niles | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,455 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 80 | 23 | 22,252 |
Niles's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Niles's SSA record in two at 1967 and the more recent half accounts for 59% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 41%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1897, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 80, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Niles at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#3,107
Active since
1897
Niles popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 80
- Annual births at peak, across 129 years of records
Niles by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Niles's strongest decade.
558 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Niles births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 183
1910s
183 births
- 1920s
1920s
282 births
- 1930s
1930s
308 births
- 1940s
1940s
434 births
- 1950s
1950s
390 births
- 1960s
1960s
272 births
- 1970s
1970s
317 births
- 1980s
1980s
423 births
- 1990s
1990s
558 births
- 2000s
2000s
451 births
- 2010s
2010s
488 births
- 2020s
2020s
339 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 558 births (13% of all-time use).
How Niles 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 Niles's total volume
Niles vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Niles by state
Where Niles concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 235 | 5.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 172 | 3.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 84 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 37 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 36 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Texas | | 26 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 22 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 16 | 0.4% |
California share of Niles's total US births 5.3%
Even split
235 of 4,455 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Niles appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Niles? ▼
4,455 babies have been named Niles since 1897. It currently ranks #3107 among boys. The peak year was 1998 with 80 births.
When was Niles most popular? ▼
Niles was most popular in the 1990s decade with 558 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Niles most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Niles are California (235 births), New York (172 births), Pennsylvania (84 births).
How long has the name Niles been used? ▼
Records for Niles go back to 1897, giving 129 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Niles? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nile, Nils, Nilan, Nilo, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Niles's data
- Niles's usage has stayed within range of its 1990s decade-level peak (558 total births) through the 2020s (339) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Niless (235 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Niles
Nearby Names Like Niles
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Niles
Nile Boy
#1941 3,696 births
Nils Boy
#4895 3,083 births
Nilan Boy
#2993 461 births
Nilo Boy
#3622 404 births
Nilson Boy
#6302 356 births
Compare Niles side by side: Niles vs Nile Niles vs Nils Niles vs Nilan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Niles
Pascual #3106
3,054 births · Peak 1993
Eduard #3108
1,885 births · Peak 2006
Wayland #3105
4,220 births · Peak 2023
Gabino #3109
2,573 births · Peak 1993
Tilden #3104
1,345 births · Peak 2025
Claudio #3110
5,475 births · Peak 1996
Aarvik #3103
143 births · Peak 2025
Arsen #3111
642 births · Peak 2024
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, 1897–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Niles: #3107 Boys' Name - 4,455 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/niles. 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 Niles 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.