Nihal
Nihal or Nahal is an Asian given name that may refer to the following notable people:Nihal Arthanayake, English radio and TV presenter known as DJ Nihal Nihal Atsız, Turkish writer Nihal Bhareti, Sri Lankan radio personality Nihal Güres, Turkish artist Nihal Nelson, Sri Lankan baila singer Nihal Seneviratne (1934–2026), Sri Lankan civil servant, secretary general of the Parliament of Sri Lanka…
Meaning & Origin of Nihal
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nihal or Nahal is an Asian given name that may refer to the following notable people:Nihal Arthanayake, English radio and TV presenter known as DJ Nihal Nihal Atsız, Turkish writer Nihal Bhareti, Sri Lankan radio personality Nihal Güres, Turkish artist Nihal Nelson, Sri Lankan baila singer Nihal Seneviratne (1934–2026), Sri Lankan civil servant, secretary general of the Parliament of Sri Lanka…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nihal
As a girl name
Nihal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1998, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 23 Nihals were born — ranking #5,618 that year. As of 2026, Nihal ranks #7,853 for girls with 13 births, gradually falling (-6%). In total, more than 252 Nihals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Nihal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1993, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 41 Nihals were born — ranking #2,846 that year. As of 2026, Nihal ranks #3,030 for boys with 41 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 863 Nihals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nihal
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nihal 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 Nihal
What does the name Nihal mean?
How popular is Nihal in 2026?
When was Nihal most popular?
In which U.S. states is Nihal most popular?
Is Nihal a unisex name?
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About the name Nihal
Nihal is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1993 and has accumulated 863 births in the dataset. Nihal's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #2,846. Use the chart and map above to compare Nihal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- 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.