Nikhil
Nikhil is a male name of Sanskrit origin. It is predominantly found in India, Nepal, and the diaspora of these countries. The name means "complete" or "whole".
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Gujarati
- Odia
Meaning & Origin of Nikhil
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nikhil is a male name of Sanskrit origin. It is predominantly found in India, Nepal, and the diaspora of these countries. The name means "complete" or "whole".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Gujarati
- Odia
- Telugu
- Malayalam
- Kannada
- Tamil
The Story of Nikhil
Nikhil first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1971, with 9 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2007: 261 births, good for #820 nationwide. About 39% of every Nikhil on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Nikhil ranks #2,930 for baby boys with 43 births, falling sharply (-35%). All told, over 5K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Nikhil
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Nikhil Advani , Hindi film director
- Nikhil Alleyne , American-Trinidadian alpine skier
- Nikhil Banerjee , sitar player
- Nikhil Chopra , retired cricketer
- Nikhil D'Souza , Indian singer
- Nikhil Dwivedi , Hindi actor
- Nikhil Kadam , football player
- Nikhil Kanetkar , Olympic badminton player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Nikhil
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nikhil 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 Nikhil
What does the name Nikhil mean?
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How popular is Nikhil in 2026?
When was Nikhil most popular?
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Is Nikhil a unisex name?
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About the name Nikhil
Nikhil is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Nikhil's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #809. Use the chart and map above to compare Nikhil's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.