Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Nilo

Meaning Nilo is both a given name and a surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,821 Trend ↑ Rising 122%

Nilo is both a given name and a surname.

Rank 2025
#3,821
among boys · ↓155 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
29
named Nilo · -6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 58,899
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
31 babies
All-time total
404
#8,970 all-time among boys
First recorded
1917
in Social Security records

Nilo popularity over time

404 babies have been named Nilo since 1917, 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
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2024Boys

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 – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 5 1 – #4,397
1920s 27 3 +440% #3,744
1930s 11 1 -59% #3,537
1940s 15 2 +36% #3,900
1950s – – – –
1960s 16 2 – #3,939
1970s 17 2 +6% #5,523
1980s 24 2 +41% #5,751
1990s 35 4 +46% #5,764
2000s 26 3 -26% #8,873
2010s 79 8 +204% #5,476
2020s (to 2025) 149 25 +214% #3,666

Where Nilo 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 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 37 0.02 outside top 500
2028 40 0.02 outside top 500
2029 43 0.03 outside top 500
2030 46 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Nilo

Nilo is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,821 in 2025 with 29 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1917, 404 American babies have been named Nilo. Its peak came in 2024, when 31 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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

How old are people named Nilo?

The median living Nilo is about 7 years old; half are between 2 and 30. An estimated 300 people named Nilo are alive in the United States today.

median 7 020406080100

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

Nilo year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 29 #3,821
2024 31 #3,666
2023 28 #3,965
2022 23 #4,536
2021 22 #4,592
2020 16 #5,629
2019 9 #8,679
2018 17 #5,476
2017 5 #13,686
2016 14 #6,253
2015 9 #8,517
2014 12 #6,945
2013 – –
2012 6 #11,835
2011 7 #10,453
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 7 #10,346
2005 8 #8,873
2004 5 #12,678
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 6 #10,169
2000 – –
1995 8 #6,811
1990 5 #9,098
1985 – –
1980 5 #6,978
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 5 #4,276
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 6 #3,537
1930 – –
1925 5 #4,708
1920 5 #4,771
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Nilo

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

  1. 1 Nilo Peçanha Nilo Peçanha President of Brazil from 1909 to 1910 1867–1924 · 19th century
  2. 2 Nilo Murtinho Braga Nilo Murtinho Braga Brazilian footballer (1903-1975) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nilo?

The median living Nilo is about 7 years old. Half of all living Nilos are between 2 and 30 years old.

How many people named Nilo are alive today?

An estimated 300 people named Nilo are alive in the United States, based on 404 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nilo mean?

Nilo is both a given name and a surname.

How popular is the name Nilo in 2025?

Nilo ranked #3,821 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 29 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nilo?

404 babies have been named Nilo in the United States since 1917, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nilo most popular?

Nilo peaked in 2024, when 31 newborns received the name.

Is Nilo a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Nilo rising or falling?

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

Will Nilo become more popular?

Nilo is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 46 boys named Nilo 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 Nilo?

Well-known people named Nilo include Nilo Peçanha (politician), Nilo Murtinho Braga (soccer player).

Names like Nilo

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

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