Niles: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#2,506

among boys · ↑640 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Niles · +38% vs 2024

How common

1 in 31,631

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1998

80 babies

All-time total

4,455

#1,925 all-time among boys

First recorded

1897

in Social Security records

Niles popularity over time

4,455 babies have been named Niles since 1897, 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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	5	1	–	#1,181
1900s	5	1	0%	#1,443
1910s	183	18	+3560%	#1,067
1920s	282	28	+54%	#1,072
1930s	308	31	+9%	#1,023
1940s	434	43	+41%	#897
1950s	390	39	-10%	#914
1960s	272	27	-30%	#1,354
1970s	317	32	+17%	#1,295
1980s	423	42	+33%	#1,356
1990s	558	56	+32%	#1,428
2000s	451	45	-19%	#1,754
2010s	488	49	+8%	#2,125
2020s (to 2025)	339	57	+16%	#2,040

Where Niles is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys	Implied rank
2026	53	0.03	outside top 500
2027	52	0.03	outside top 500
2028	51	0.03	outside top 500
2029	51	0.03	outside top 500
2030	50	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Niles

Niles is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,506 in 2025 with 54 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1897, 4,455 American babies have been named Niles. Its peak came in 1998, when 80 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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 Niles stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Niles?

The median living Niles is about 32 years old; half are between 16 and 54. An estimated 3,300 people named Niles 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.

Niles year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	54	#2,506
2024	39	#3,146
2023	53	#2,531
2022	59	#2,398
2021	64	#2,212
2020	70	#2,040
2019	64	#2,207
2018	49	#2,603
2017	65	#2,125
2016	54	#2,404
2015	49	#2,555
2014	53	#2,419
2013	39	#2,936
2012	45	#2,704
2011	41	#2,886
2010	29	#3,689
2009	47	#2,647
2008	37	#3,149
2007	50	#2,527
2006	38	#2,967
2005	36	#2,943
2004	43	#2,559
2003	41	#2,540
2002	41	#2,460
2001	54	#2,001
2000	64	#1,754
1995	70	#1,429
1990	45	#1,773
1985	45	#1,498
1980	37	#1,613
1975	45	#1,295
1970	21	#1,974
1965	28	#1,473
1960	35	#1,354
1955	42	#1,160
1950	57	#914
1945	36	#1,099
1940	35	#1,124
1935	27	#1,318
1930	29	#1,360
1925	25	#1,524
1920	27	#1,450
1915	16	#1,860
1910	6	#1,536
1905	–	–
1900	5	#1,443
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Niles

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Niles Eldredge American paleontologist b. 1943 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Niles?

The median living Niles is about 32 years old. Half of all living Niless are between 16 and 54 years old.

How many people named Niles are alive today?

An estimated 3,300 people named Niles are alive in the United States, based on 4,455 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Niles mean?

Niles is a surname and a masculine given name which may refer to:

How popular is the name Niles in 2025?

Niles ranked #2,506 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 54 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Niles?

4,455 babies have been named Niles in the United States since 1897, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Niles most popular?

Niles peaked in 1998, when 80 newborns received the name.

Is Niles a boy or girl name?

Niles is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Niles rising or falling?

Niles is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Niles become more popular?

Niles is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Niles in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Niles?

Well-known people named Niles include Niles Eldredge (geologist).

Names like Niles

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

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