Nilah: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,757

among girls · ↑879 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Nilah · +33% vs 2024

How common

1 in 40,182

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2012

84 babies

All-time total

1,420

#5,912 all-time among girls

First recorded

1916

in Social Security records

Nilah popularity over time

1,420 babies have been named Nilah since 1916, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	19	2	–	#4,171
1920s	55	6	+189%	#3,948
1930s	44	4	-20%	#2,645
1940s	7	1	-84%	#3,969
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	25	3	–	#10,851
2000s	303	30	+1112%	#2,990
2010s	710	71	+134%	#2,259
2020s (to 2025)	257	43	-40%	#2,705

Where Nilah is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	37	0.02	outside top 500
2027	35	0.02	outside top 500
2028	33	0.02	outside top 500
2029	32	0.02	outside top 500
2030	31	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Nilah

Nilah is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,757 in 2025 with 40 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1916, 1,420 American babies have been named Nilah. Its peak came in 2012, when 84 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Nilah stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nilah?

The median living Nilah is about 11 years old; half are between 7 and 16. An estimated 1,300 people named Nilah are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Nilah year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	40	#3,757
2024	30	#4,636
2023	48	#3,367
2022	31	#4,551
2021	46	#3,426
2020	62	#2,705
2019	62	#2,746
2018	60	#2,833
2017	62	#2,769
2016	70	#2,557
2015	71	#2,546
2014	79	#2,343
2013	75	#2,428
2012	84	#2,259
2011	81	#2,318
2010	66	#2,717
2009	58	#2,990
2008	53	#3,206
2007	41	#3,902
2006	32	#4,549
2005	34	#4,176
2004	18	#6,689
2003	20	#5,982
2002	20	#5,842
2001	13	#8,067
2000	14	#7,465
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	5	#4,715
1930	–	–
1925	5	#5,563
1920	5	#5,557
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Nilah, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Nilah?

The median living Nilah is about 11 years old. Half of all living Nilahs are between 7 and 16 years old.

How many people named Nilah are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Nilah are alive in the United States, based on 1,420 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Nilah in 2025?

Nilah ranked #3,757 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 40 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nilah?

1,420 babies have been named Nilah in the United States since 1916, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nilah most popular?

Nilah peaked in 2012, when 84 newborns received the name.

Is Nilah a boy or girl name?

Nilah is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Nilah rising or falling?

Nilah is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Nilah become more popular?

Nilah is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 31 girls named Nilah in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Nilah

Names that sound and feel close to Nilah: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Nilah with similar names → More names starting with N →