Nile
Meaningthe Nile river · English
- US rank
- #1,837
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #900 in 1896
86 babies were named Nile in the US in 2025. It has dropped 71 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1975–2025
US births per million boys, 1895–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Nile you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Nile
Nile Rodgers
American record producer, musician and composer
Choose Nile and your child shares a first name with Nile Rodgers, an American record producer, musician and composer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Nile, like who?” Nile Rodgers's Wikipedia article is available in 31 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Nile Rodgers on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 19,881 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Nile, 86 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Nile would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryNile first shows up in US birth records in 1895, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 130 years since.
- Best yearIts best year was 1896, when it reached #900.
- Then vs nowNile is 2.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 44,643 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 19,881.
- TrendNile has slipped 71 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,837. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedNile is most popular in Iowa, where it ranks #493, followed by Wisconsin (#785). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
- MeaningIn English, Nile means “the Nile river”. Our records link it to Egyptian and English roots.
- OriginNile is the #8 most popular Egyptian boy name in the US. That's out of 41 Egyptian boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Nile
Nile is a boy name of Egyptian and English origin meaning “the Nile river”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with N and ending in “-ile”. US birth records list Nile for boys from 1895 to 2025, in 120 of those 131 years. Its best year was 1896, when it ranked #900 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,837, with 86 babies.
Origin:Egyptian namesEnglish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7 | 1,470,588 girls |
| 1980s | 0.7 | 1,351,351 girls |
| 1990s | 3.4 | 298,507 girls |
| 2000s | 5.4 | 186,220 girls |
| 2010s | 6.4 | 156,006 girls |
| 2020s | 8.3 | 120,240 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 30 | 33,738 boys |
| 1900s | 9.5 | 105,708 boys |
| 1910s | 25 | 40,750 boys |
| 1920s | 23 | 44,014 boys |
| 1930s | 20 | 48,948 boys |
| 1940s | 17 | 59,988 boys |
| 1950s | 8.6 | 116,686 boys |
| 1960s | 7.1 | 141,643 boys |
| 1970s | 7.6 | 131,234 boys |
| 1980s | 12 | 86,881 boys |
| 1990s | 24 | 42,499 boys |
| 2000s | 23 | 43,975 boys |
| 2010s | 35 | 28,960 boys |
| 2020s | 56 | 17,773 boys |
Other spellings of Nile
More Egyptian boy names
- Boy name: Moshe · drawn out
- Boy name: Moses · drawn out
- Boy name: Moises · drawn out
- Unisex name: Memphis · from Memphis, Egypt
- Boy name: Phineas · the Nubian
- Boy name: Ramses · born of Ra
- Boy name: Pinchas · the Nubian
- Boy name: Moishe · drawn out
Questions about the name Nile
What does the name Nile mean?
Nile means “the Nile river” in English.
What is the origin of the name Nile?
Nile has Egyptian, English roots in our records. Other Egyptian names include Moshe, Moses, Moises.
Is Nile a boy or girl name?
Nile is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Nile?
Nile ranked #1,837 for US boys in 2025, given to 86 babies. Its best year was 1896 (#900).