Nile
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- NYL
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,423 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #1,837 for boys
Unisex
Nile is a name of Greek origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,423rd for boys in the UK (20 babies) and 1,837th for boys in the US (86 babies).
What does Nile mean?
Greek: from the River Nile, Greek Neilos; earlier source uncertain
Taken from the River Nile, the great African river that sustained the civilisation of ancient Egypt.
Is Nile a girl's or a boy's name?
In recent years, Nile has been given to both girls and boys. In 2025, it was given to 6 girls and 20 boys in the UK and 8 girls and 86 boys in the US.
How popular is Nile in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,423among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 20about 1 in 15,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 20 boys in the UK were named Nile, making it the 1,423rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,829th. Its busiest year was 2000, with 31 boys. 6 girls were also named Nile in 2025 (3,776th for girls).
2025 had more boys named Nile than any year since 2019.
Half of all the boys named Nile in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 30 boys in the UK were given Nile or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #951, up from #1,423 for this spelling alone.
- Nile 20
- Nyle 10
In 2025, 23% of the babies named Nile in the UK were girls.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,358th in England and Wales.
Nile in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #1,423 |
| 2024 | 15 | #1,745 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,335 |
| 2022 | 15 | #1,708 |
| 2021 | 16 | #1,619 |
| 2020 | 13 | #1,829 |
| 2019 | 26 | #1,124 |
| 2018 | 14 | #1,803 |
| 2017 | 22 | #1,290 |
| 2016 | 18 | #1,512 |
| 2015 | 20 | #1,367 |
| 2014 | 21 | #1,308 |
| 2013 | 14 | #1,715 |
| 2012 | 15 | #1,692 |
| 2011 | 18 | #1,433 |
| 2010 | 10 | #2,141 |
| 2009 | 13 | #1,760 |
| 2008 | 18 | #1,378 |
| 2007 | 18 | #1,343 |
| 2006 | 10 | #1,845 |
| 2005 | 16 | #1,326 |
| 2004 | 14 | #1,348 |
| 2003 | 17 | #1,124 |
| 2002 | 18 | #1,030 |
| 2001 | 13 | #1,209 |
| 2000 | 31 | #654 |
| 1999 | 20 | #870 |
| 1998 | 24 | #749 |
| 1997 | 27 | #671 |
| 1996 | 24 | #697 |
How popular is Nile in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,837among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 86about 1 in 20,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 86 boys in the US were named Nile, making it the 1,837th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,766th. Its busiest year was 2021, with 129 boys. It first appears in the records in 1895. 8 girls were also named Nile in 2025 (10,913th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Nile in the US since 1880 were born between 1950 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 127 boys in the US were given Nile or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,295, up from #1,837 for this spelling alone.
- Nile 86
- Nyle 41
In 2025, 9% of the babies named Nile in the US were girls.
Nile in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 86 | #1,837 |
| 2024 | 81 | #1,938 |
| 2023 | 92 | #1,765 |
| 2022 | 110 | #1,597 |
| 2021 | 129 | #1,419 |
| 2020 | 86 | #1,766 |
| 2019 | 75 | #1,953 |
| 2018 | 75 | #1,958 |
| 2017 | 58 | #2,269 |
| 2016 | 81 | #1,845 |
| 2015 | 56 | #2,327 |
| 2014 | 72 | #1,978 |
| 2013 | 49 | #2,490 |
| 2012 | 66 | #2,065 |
| 2011 | 51 | #2,436 |
| 2010 | 65 | #2,068 |
| 2009 | 43 | #2,799 |
| 2008 | 48 | #2,582 |
| 2007 | 53 | #2,416 |
| 2006 | 48 | #2,512 |
| 2005 | 45 | #2,489 |
| 2004 | 28 | #3,364 |
| 2003 | 47 | #2,265 |
| 2002 | 44 | #2,333 |
| 2001 | 54 | #1,978 |
| 2000 | 44 | #2,218 |
| 1999 | 51 | #1,900 |
| 1998 | 50 | #1,928 |
| 1997 | 50 | #1,856 |
| 1996 | 50 | #1,813 |
| 1995 | 56 | #1,618 |
| 1994 | 47 | #1,817 |
| 1993 | 48 | #1,764 |
| 1992 | 45 | #1,815 |
| 1991 | 31 | #2,289 |
| 1990 | 28 | #2,427 |
| 1989 | 30 | #2,239 |
| 1988 | 23 | #2,504 |
| 1987 | 24 | #2,329 |
| 1986 | 20 | #2,598 |
| 1985 | 18 | #2,708 |
| 1984 | 23 | #2,231 |
| 1983 | 15 | #2,911 |
| 1982 | 11 | #3,690 |
| 1981 | 23 | #2,203 |
| 1980 | 26 | #2,058 |
| 1979 | 22 | #2,235 |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
| 1977 | 12 | #3,201 |
| 1976 | 15 | #2,708 |
| 1975 | 14 | #2,749 |
| 1974 | 11 | #3,118 |
| 1973 | 14 | #2,604 |
| 1972 | 13 | #2,658 |
| 1971 | 9 | #3,368 |
| 1970 | 10 | #3,069 |
| 1969 | 15 | #2,216 |
| 1968 | 10 | #2,734 |
| 1967 | 13 | #2,241 |
| 1966 | 12 | #2,326 |
| 1965 | 11 | #2,474 |
| 1964 | 18 | #1,899 |
| 1963 | 15 | #2,114 |
| 1962 | 12 | #2,363 |
| 1961 | 14 | #2,241 |
| 1960 | 16 | #2,041 |
| 1959 | 15 | #2,110 |
| 1958 | 15 | #2,092 |
| 1957 | 12 | #2,374 |
| 1956 | 19 | #1,820 |
| 1955 | 16 | #1,978 |
| 1954 | 13 | #2,206 |
| 1953 | 26 | #1,479 |
| 1952 | 19 | #1,748 |
| 1951 | 12 | #2,245 |
| 1950 | 24 | #1,498 |
| 1949 | 16 | #1,871 |
| 1948 | 20 | #1,655 |
| 1947 | 17 | #1,849 |
| 1946 | 22 | #1,508 |
| 1945 | 16 | #1,696 |
| 1944 | 30 | #1,212 |
| 1943 | 25 | #1,398 |
| 1942 | 25 | #1,381 |
| 1941 | 25 | #1,333 |
| 1940 | 39 | #1,031 |
| 1939 | 28 | #1,238 |
| 1938 | 21 | #1,476 |
| 1937 | 16 | #1,756 |
| 1936 | 22 | #1,417 |
| 1935 | 12 | #2,127 |
| 1934 | 13 | #2,022 |
| 1933 | 24 | #1,361 |
| 1932 | 27 | #1,324 |
| 1931 | 27 | #1,333 |
| 1930 | 26 | #1,428 |
| 1929 | 14 | #2,095 |
| 1928 | 27 | #1,413 |
| 1927 | 29 | #1,372 |
| 1926 | 29 | #1,353 |
| 1925 | 31 | #1,304 |
| 1924 | 30 | #1,355 |
| 1923 | 30 | #1,322 |
| 1922 | 23 | #1,591 |
| 1921 | 19 | #1,828 |
| 1920 | 19 | #1,820 |
| 1919 | 26 | #1,407 |
| 1918 | 26 | #1,403 |
| 1917 | 24 | #1,437 |
| 1916 | 28 | #1,265 |
| 1915 | 30 | #1,181 |
| 1914 | 13 | #1,771 |
| 1913 | 9 | #1,944 |
| 1912 | 16 | #1,174 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 5 | #1,588 |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 5 | #1,344 |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 8 | #918 |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 5 | #1,050 |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 7 | #899 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,078 |
Names like Nile
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Luke George Theodore Jake Jude Jace Alexander Jack Nate Myles Blake Theo
Other spellings of Nile
Names related to Nile
More Greek names
Luca Sophia Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie Lainey Elena Atlas
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Nile: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nile, updated 20 October 2026.