Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1992

Nima

Meaning Nima is a Persian male given name popular in Iran Gender Unisex · 26% girls Rank 2025 #5,338 Trend ↑ Rising 33%

Nima is a Persian male given name popular in Iran.

Rank 2025
#5,338
among boys · ↑1,045 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
26
named Nima · +13% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,893
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1992
51 babies
All-time total
1,421
#4,971 all-time among boys
First recorded
1921
in Social Security records

Nima popularity over time

1,421 babies have been named Nima since 1921, 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
0.010.010.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s 17 – 17 2 – –
1930s 5 – 5 1 -71% –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – 68 68 7 – #2,084
1980s 55 292 347 35 +410% #1,614
1990s 41 309 350 35 +1% #1,899
2000s 73 200 273 27 -22% #2,904
2010s 114 94 208 21 -24% #6,677
2020s (to 2025) 64 89 153 26 +23% #5,338

The story of Nima

Nima is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,338 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1921, 1,421 American babies have been named Nima, about 74% boys and 26% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1992, when 51 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 Nima stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Nima?

The median living Nima is about 27 years old; half are between 14 and 37. An estimated 1,400 people named Nima are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Nima year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 8 #11,643 18 #5,338
2024 9 #10,870 14 #6,383
2023 12 #8,842 16 #5,851
2022 11 #9,498 11 #7,599
2021 9 #10,896 15 #5,954
2020 15 #7,475 15 #5,894
2019 7 #13,412 13 #6,677
2018 15 #7,663 9 #8,628
2017 9 #11,373 12 #6,984
2016 12 #9,275 10 #7,986
2015 14 #8,322 7 #10,302
2014 15 #7,963 9 #8,600
2013 16 #7,654 7 #10,413
2012 9 #11,975 8 #9,464
2011 9 #11,910 11 #7,358
2010 8 #13,144 8 #9,426
2009 5 #19,418 13 #6,708
2008 10 #11,376 10 #8,118
2007 8 #13,583 12 #6,962
2006 13 #9,130 20 #4,635
2005 7 #14,107 13 #6,121
2004 7 #13,798 16 #5,187
2003 9 #11,083 23 #3,813
2002 8 #11,893 30 #3,067
2001 6 #14,827 32 #2,908
2000 – – 31 #2,904
1995 6 #12,894 28 #2,667
1990 6 #12,437 41 #1,899
1985 7 #8,987 30 #1,955
1980 5 #11,605 20 #2,505
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Nima

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

  1. 1 Nima Arkani-Hamed Nima Arkani-Hamed American-Canadian physicist (born 1972) Contemporary
  2. 2 Nima Yooshij Nima Yooshij Iranian modern poet (1895–1960) 1897–1960 · 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Nima?

The median living Nima is about 27 years old. Half of all living Nimas are between 14 and 37 years old.

How many people named Nima are alive today?

An estimated 1,400 people named Nima are alive in the United States, based on 1,421 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Nima mean?

Nima is a Persian male given name popular in Iran.

How popular is the name Nima in 2025?

Nima ranked #5,338 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Nima?

1,421 babies have been named Nima in the United States since 1921, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Nima most popular?

Nima peaked in 1992, when 51 newborns received the name.

Is Nima a boy or girl name?

Nima is used for both: about 26% of babies named Nima have been girls and 74% boys.

Is the name Nima rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Nima?

Well-known people named Nima include Nima Arkani-Hamed (physicist), Nima Yooshij (writer).

Names like Nima

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

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