Boy · #3,392 in 2026

Niles

Niles is a surname and a masculine given name which may refer to:

  • English
Current Rank
#3,392
Peak Rank
#888 (1998)
Total Babies
4K
5-Yr Trend
-28%
1897
First Year
2026
Last Year
1998
Peak Year
#888
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
118
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Niles

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Niles is a surname and a masculine given name which may refer to:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Niles

Niles first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1897, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 80 Niless were born — ranking #1,418 that year. As of 2026, Niles ranks #3,392 for baby boys with 35 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 4K Niless have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Niles

Phonetically similar names — useful when Niles 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 Niles

What does the name Niles mean?
Niles is a surname and a masculine given name which may refer to:
What is the origin of the name Niles?
Niles has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Niles in 2026?
In 2026, Niles ranks #3,392 among boys' names in the U.S., with 35 babies given the name that year.
When was Niles most popular?
Niles reached its peak popularity in 1998, ranking #888 that year with 80 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Niles most popular?
Niles has historically been most popular in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Niles.
Is Niles a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Niles is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Niles?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Niles include Verlon, Jaycob, Adolf. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Niles

Niles is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1897 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Niles's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #888. Use the chart and map above to compare Niles's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.