boy's name
Niels
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 4,748
France
#815
2025 births
Niels is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 15 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in France in 2012, when 180 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 11,790 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1967.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Niels over time
Births per decade in France, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 15 |
| 1970s | 35 |
| 1980s | 220 |
| 1990s | 570 |
| 2000s | 1,110 |
| 2010s | 935 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 340 |
How popular is Niels?
In 2025, Niels was given to 50 babies in France, ranking #815 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Niels is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Niels
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Niels also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Niels over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Niels in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Niels
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Niels — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Niels
How popular is the name Niels?
In 2025, Niels was given to 50 babies in France, ranking #815 that year. It is a rare choice.
Is Niels a girl's or a boy's name?
Niels is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Niels?
Niels has 1 syllable.
When was Niels most popular?
Niels peaked in 2012, when 180 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Niels a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Niels currently ranks #815 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.