Nila
From the Sanskrit nila, meaning dark blue, used in India of the colour and of the indigo plant. It is also used as a respelling of Nyla.
Nila in 2025
Nila was given to 116 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 3,212th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 28,581 babies born.
The history of Nila
Nila reached its highest point in 2022, when 144 babies were given the name, ranking 2,793rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 1,050th, in 1935.
Across the 136 years of records since 1890, 7,136 babies have been named Nila. Half of them were born before 1956, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Nila by decade
| Decade | Babies named Nila | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 59 | 1,592 |
| 1900s | 96 | 1,541 |
| 1910s | 347 | 1,560 |
| 1920s | 713 | 1,367 |
| 1930s | 944 | 1,050 |
| 1940s | 854 | 1,304 |
| 1950s | 833 | 1,553 |
| 1960s | 377 | 2,212 |
| 1970s | 200 | 4,030 |
| 1980s | 174 | 5,307 |
| 1990s | 219 | 5,465 |
| 2000s | 554 | 4,092 |
| 2010s | 1,063 | 3,030 |
| 2020s | 703 | 2,793 |
Where Nila is heading
Nila has held roughly steady over the past decade, from 117 babies in 2015 to 116 in 2025.
Names like Nila
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Nila.