Nieves
Nieves, the Spanish plural form of nieve, is a surname and female given name derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, a reference to the 4th-century Catholic miracle of a summertime snowfall on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, where the Basilica Sanctae Mariae ad Nives was built.
- Spanish
Meaning & Origin of Nieves
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nieves, the Spanish plural form of nieve, is a surname and female given name derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, a reference to the 4th-century Catholic miracle of a summertime snowfall on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, where the Basilica Sanctae Mariae ad Nives was built.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Spanish
The Story of Nieves
As a girl name
American parents first put Nieves on the record books as a girl name in 1901, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 26 Nievess were born — ranking #1,623 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2017 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 986 Nievess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Nieves as a boy name dates back to 1913, when 5 babies received it. 1921 was its biggest year on record, with 15 newborns named Nieves — #2,153 in the national rankings. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2007 (7 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 595 Nievess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Nieves
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Nieves. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Nieves
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nieves is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nieves
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About the name Nieves
Nieves is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1901 and has accumulated 986 births in the dataset. Nieves's peak popularity came in 1926 when it ranked #1,623. Use the chart and map above to compare Nieves's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1926 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "N" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.