Nils
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- NILZ
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #4,301 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #4,856 for boys
Nils is a boys' name of Greek origin, meaning “victory of the people”. In 2025 it ranked 4,301st for boys in the UK (4 babies) and 4,856th for boys in the US (20 babies).
What does Nils mean?
Greek: Scandinavian form of Nicholas
“victory of the people”
Selma Lagerlöf's The Wonderful Adventures of Nils follows a boy who flies across Sweden on a goose.
Is Nils a girl's or a boy's name?
Nils is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 4 boys in the UK and 20 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Nils in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,301among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 4about 1 in 75,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 4 boys in the UK were named Nils, making it the 4,301st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6,143rd. Its busiest year was 2009, with 11 boys.
Half of all the boys named Nils in the UK since 1996 were born between 2002 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 4,212th in England and Wales.
Nils in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | #4,301 |
| 2024 | 4 | #4,346 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,188 |
| 2020 | 1 | #6,143 |
| 2019 | 5 | #3,597 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,169 |
| 2017 | 3 | #4,995 |
| 2016 | 3 | #5,015 |
| 2015 | 9 | #2,425 |
| 2014 | 9 | #2,378 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 10 | #2,230 |
| 2011 | 8 | #2,503 |
| 2010 | 6 | #3,092 |
| 2009 | 11 | #1,959 |
| 2008 | 10 | #2,048 |
| 2007 | 8 | #2,337 |
| 2006 | 8 | #2,193 |
| 2005 | 8 | #2,090 |
| 2004 | 4 | #3,147 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 7 | #1,900 |
| 2001 | 8 | #1,690 |
| 2000 | 6 | #1,977 |
| 1999 | 6 | #1,941 |
| 1998 | 7 | #1,727 |
| 1997 | 6 | #1,853 |
| 1996 | 5 | #2,094 |
How popular is Nils in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #4,856among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 20about 1 in 85,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 2% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 20 boys in the US were named Nils, making it the 4,856th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,694th. Its busiest year was 1970, with 48 boys. It first appears in the records in 1888.
Half of all the boys named Nils in the US since 1880 were born between 1945 and 1994, the years shaded on the chart below.
Nils in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | #4,856 |
| 2024 | 20 | #4,886 |
| 2023 | 24 | #4,339 |
| 2022 | 15 | #5,870 |
| 2021 | 14 | #6,027 |
| 2020 | 20 | #4,694 |
| 2019 | 20 | #4,802 |
| 2018 | 25 | #4,090 |
| 2017 | 18 | #5,107 |
| 2016 | 21 | #4,623 |
| 2015 | 20 | #4,709 |
| 2014 | 22 | #4,389 |
| 2013 | 25 | #3,962 |
| 2012 | 26 | #3,891 |
| 2011 | 18 | #4,981 |
| 2010 | 31 | #3,452 |
| 2009 | 23 | #4,276 |
| 2008 | 24 | #4,142 |
| 2007 | 23 | #4,241 |
| 2006 | 31 | #3,382 |
| 2005 | 25 | #3,706 |
| 2004 | 18 | #4,597 |
| 2003 | 23 | #3,727 |
| 2002 | 30 | #3,018 |
| 2001 | 39 | #2,485 |
| 2000 | 29 | #2,987 |
| 1999 | 39 | #2,297 |
| 1998 | 23 | #3,292 |
| 1997 | 29 | #2,676 |
| 1996 | 34 | #2,327 |
| 1995 | 26 | #2,757 |
| 1994 | 35 | #2,254 |
| 1993 | 35 | #2,204 |
| 1992 | 31 | #2,357 |
| 1991 | 28 | #2,463 |
| 1990 | 36 | #2,044 |
| 1989 | 26 | #2,463 |
| 1988 | 24 | #2,432 |
| 1987 | 23 | #2,396 |
| 1986 | 32 | #1,871 |
| 1985 | 32 | #1,833 |
| 1984 | 26 | #2,035 |
| 1983 | 27 | #1,954 |
| 1982 | 24 | #2,165 |
| 1981 | 24 | #2,137 |
| 1980 | 38 | #1,569 |
| 1979 | 38 | #1,532 |
| 1978 | 31 | #1,718 |
| 1977 | 23 | #2,063 |
| 1976 | 26 | #1,872 |
| 1975 | 30 | #1,657 |
| 1974 | 32 | #1,546 |
| 1973 | 23 | #1,870 |
| 1972 | 25 | #1,771 |
| 1971 | 34 | #1,466 |
| 1970 | 48 | #1,192 |
| 1969 | 41 | #1,231 |
| 1968 | 32 | #1,366 |
| 1967 | 30 | #1,387 |
| 1966 | 44 | #1,116 |
| 1965 | 31 | #1,385 |
| 1964 | 33 | #1,370 |
| 1963 | 39 | #1,237 |
| 1962 | 37 | #1,278 |
| 1961 | 36 | #1,321 |
| 1960 | 30 | #1,462 |
| 1959 | 29 | #1,466 |
| 1958 | 29 | #1,445 |
| 1957 | 36 | #1,299 |
| 1956 | 32 | #1,361 |
| 1955 | 34 | #1,293 |
| 1954 | 42 | #1,150 |
| 1953 | 27 | #1,454 |
| 1952 | 33 | #1,296 |
| 1951 | 18 | #1,773 |
| 1950 | 35 | #1,219 |
| 1949 | 32 | #1,274 |
| 1948 | 37 | #1,172 |
| 1947 | 25 | #1,481 |
| 1946 | 28 | #1,326 |
| 1945 | 23 | #1,377 |
| 1944 | 31 | #1,193 |
| 1943 | 16 | #1,832 |
| 1942 | 27 | #1,334 |
| 1941 | 25 | #1,333 |
| 1940 | 28 | #1,275 |
| 1939 | 22 | #1,425 |
| 1938 | 31 | #1,171 |
| 1937 | 25 | #1,344 |
| 1936 | 26 | #1,296 |
| 1935 | 27 | #1,295 |
| 1934 | 40 | #1,024 |
| 1933 | 31 | #1,181 |
| 1932 | 33 | #1,175 |
| 1931 | 26 | #1,361 |
| 1930 | 25 | #1,463 |
| 1929 | 31 | #1,272 |
| 1928 | 26 | #1,448 |
| 1927 | 13 | #2,298 |
| 1926 | 20 | #1,720 |
| 1925 | 17 | #1,934 |
| 1924 | 23 | #1,628 |
| 1923 | 13 | #2,330 |
| 1922 | 14 | #2,239 |
| 1921 | 20 | #1,766 |
| 1920 | 18 | #1,885 |
| 1919 | 20 | #1,694 |
| 1918 | 18 | #1,826 |
| 1917 | 21 | #1,586 |
| 1916 | 22 | #1,504 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,409 |
| 1914 | 16 | #1,544 |
| 1913 | 13 | #1,496 |
| 1912 | 10 | #1,618 |
| 1911 | 0 | – |
| 1910 | 0 | – |
| 1909 | 0 | – |
| 1908 | 0 | – |
| 1907 | 6 | #1,199 |
| 1906 | 0 | – |
| 1905 | 0 | – |
| 1904 | 0 | – |
| 1903 | 0 | – |
| 1902 | 0 | – |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 0 | – |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 0 | – |
| 1897 | 0 | – |
| 1896 | 0 | – |
| 1895 | 0 | – |
| 1894 | 0 | – |
| 1893 | 0 | – |
| 1892 | 0 | – |
| 1891 | 0 | – |
| 1890 | 0 | – |
| 1889 | 0 | – |
| 1888 | 7 | #815 |
Names like Nils
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James Nicholas Billy Jack Thomas Charles Luke Michael George Daniel Nathan Alexander
Names related to Nils
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia Theo Lucas Sofia Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Chloe Sophie Zoe Iris Maisie Lainey
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, “Nils: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/nils, updated 20 October 2026.