boy's name
Nils
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 10,955
Ireland
#383
1992 births
Nils is a boy's name with 1 syllable. In 2025 it was given to 20 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in France in 2010, when 340 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 7,860 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1930.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Nils over time
Births per decade in France, 1930s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 15 |
| 1950s | 35 |
| 1960s | 40 |
| 1970s | 200 |
| 1980s | 590 |
| 1990s | 1,130 |
| 2000s | 2,505 |
| 2010s | 2,365 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 735 |
How popular is Nils?
In 2025, Nils was given to 75 babies in France, ranking #579 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Nils 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 Nils
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Nils also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Nils over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Nils 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 Nils
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Nils — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Nils
How popular is the name Nils?
In 2025, Nils was given to 75 babies in France, ranking #579 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Nils a girl's or a boy's name?
Nils is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Nils?
Nils has 1 syllable.
When was Nils most popular?
Nils peaked in 2010, when 340 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Nils a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Nils currently ranks #579 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.